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IUOY,  Oe  CALIF.  LIBRARY,  LOS  ANGELE* 


THE  CONQUEST 


By 
H.  BEDFORD-JONES 


Published  by 

DAVID  C.  COOK   PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

Elgin                      Chicago                      New  York  Boston 

Publishing  House  and  Mailing  Rooms,        -  Elgin,  Illinois 


COPYRIGHT,   1914, 
THE  DAVID  C.  COOK  PUBLISHING  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS 


I.  \YITAT  WE  FOUND  ox  THE  MOOR           ....  7 

II.  GIB  o'  CLARCLACH            .           .           .           .           .           .  11 

III.  THE  "LASS  o'  DEE"  SAILS       .....  15 

IV.  THE  MAN  FROM  THE  SEA           .           .           .           .           .    '       21 
V.  How  THE  "  LASS  "  WAS  DRIFTED           ....  24 

VI.  RADISSON    THE   GREAT      ..'....  28 

VII.  GRIM  HOWLS          .......  32 

VIII.  DESERTED     .           .          .          .                  ,   .           .  35 

IX.  THE  GREAT  ADVENTURE  BEGINS           ....  40 

X.  THE  KEEPER  AND  THE  ARROW           .                      .           .  43 

XI.  IN  THE  VILLAGES  OF  THE  CREES           ....  47 

XII.  THE  MOOSE  OF  MYSTERY           .....  51 

XIII.  THE  RAIDERS         .......  55 

XIV.  THE  PURSUIT        .          .          .           .                                .  59 
XV.  OUTGENERALED       .           ...           .          .          .          .  63 

XVI.  A  VOICE  IN  THE  NIGHT          .....  68 

XVII.  A  MARTYR  OF  THE  SNOWS           .....  72 

XVIII.  HUDSON'S  END       ...                      ...  77 

XIX.  THE  MIGHTY  ONE           .                                 .           .           .  81 

XX.  How  PIERRE  RADISSON  SLEPT    .....  85 

XXI.  THE  SHADOW  OF  THE  CROSS      .           .           .           .           .  89 

XXII.  THE  END  OF  THE  LONG  TRAIL  94 


FOREWORD 

The  story  of  Pierre  Radisson,  which  is  herein  related,  has  passed  into 
history.  That  he  was  the  first  white  man  to  reach  the  Mississippi,  after 
De  Soto,  is  now  admitted.  It  was  he  who  founded  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company,  and  who  opened  up  the  great  Northwest  to  the  world,  re- 
ceiving the  basest  of  ingratitude  in  return. 

The  materials  and  facts  used  in  this  narrative  I  owe  in  part  to  Agnes 
C.  Laut,  who  has  rescued  him  from  oblivion  and  given  him  his  rightful 
place  in  history.  The  manner  of  his  death  no  man  knows  to  this  day, 
but  it  is  hard  to  imagine  this  world-wandered  dying  in  his  bed  in  London 
town ;  one  likes  to  think  of  him  as  finding  the  peace  of  his  "  heart's  de- 
sire "  in  the  far  land  which  he  knew  and  loved  and  served  so  well. — H. 
Bedford-Jones. 


DEDICATED 

To  my  mother,  whose  picture  is  the  pic- 
ture of  Ruth  MacDonald  in  these  pages. 


THE  CONQUEST 

By  H.  BEDFORD-JONES 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHAT   WE   FOUND  ON   THE   MOOR. 

MY  father  cocked  up  one  eye  at  the 
heavens  and  stroked  his  heavy 
beard,  and,  as  the  storm  was  all 
but  over,  he  growled  assent  in  the  Gaelic 
tongue  that  we  of  the  west  used  among 
ourselves. 

"  Aye,  come  along,  Davie.  We'll  have 
work  to  find  the  sheep  and  get  them  to- 
gether after  this  blow.  Belike  they  are 
huddled  up  in  some  corner  of  the  moor — 
over  beyond  the  Glowerie-gap,  no  doubt." 

So  blithely  enough  I  whistled  to  Grim, 
and  the  three  of  us  set  off  across  the  moors, 
while  mother  stood  at  the  door  and  waved 
us  a  cheery  farewell.  Little  she  thought 
what  burden  we  would  fetch  back  with  us 
that  day !  The  great  storm  had  blown  it- 
self out,  and  as  we  went  along  I  asked 
permission  to  go  down  by  the  cliffs  that 
afternoon  and  hunt  for  washed-up  wonders 
of  the  ocean. 

"  Not  you,  lad,"  replied  my  father  in 
his  stern  fashion,  yet  kindly  enough. 
"  There  is  work  and  to  spare  at  home.  Be- 
sides, the  cliffs  are  no  place  for  you  this 
day.  There'll  be  wreckers  out  betwixt  here 
and  Rathesby." 

So  with  that  I  fell  silent,  wishing  with 
all  my  heart  that  I  might  see  the  wreckers 
at  work.  For  I  was  but  a  boy  of  nine 
and  the  life  of  a  wrecker  seemed  to  me 
to  be  the  greatest  in  all  the  world.  Little 
I  knew  of  the  sore  work  that  was  done 
along  the  west  coast  that  day ! 


Years  before,  my  great-grandfather,  a 
MacDonald  of  the  isles,  had  come  across 
to  the  mainland  and  settled  on  Arby  farm, 
and  on  this  same  stead  I  had  spent  my 
nine  years.  All  my  life  had  been  one  of 
peace  and  quietness,  but  I  knew  full  well 
that  the  old  claymore  hanging  beside  the 
fireplace  could  not  say  as  much. 

For  my  father,  Fergus  MacDonald,  had 
married  late  in  life  and  my  mother  had 
come  out  of '  the  south  to  wed  him.  I 
had  heard  strange  whispers  of  the  manner 
of  that  wedding.  It  was  said,  and  my  father 
never  denied  it,  that  he  had  been  one  of 
those  who,  many  years  before,  had  hoisted 
the  blue  banner  of  the  Covenant  and  rid- 
den behind  the  great  prophet  Cameron, 
even  to  the  end.  Then,  when  the  Cove- 
nant was  shattered  by  the  king's  troops, 
he  had  fled  into  the  hills  of  the  south,  and 
when  the  hunting  was  done  and  a  new 
King  come  to  the  throne,  he  had  brought 
home  as  his  wife,  the  woman  who  had 
sheltered  and  hidden  him  in  her  father's 
barn. 

How  true  these  things  were  I  never 
knew,  but  my  father's  fame  had  spread 
afar.  In  this  year  of  grace  1701  the  days 
of  the  Covenant  were  all  but  over.  The 
order  of  things  was  shifting;  rumors  were 
flying  abroad  that  the  Stuart  was  coming 
to  his  own  ere  long,  and  that  all  wide 
Scotland  would  rise  behind  him  to  a  man. 

Of  this  my  thoughts  were  busy  as  we 
strode  over  the  heather,  side  by  side.  Grim 
following  us  sedately  and  inconspicuously, 
as  a  sheep  dog  should  when  he  has  age  and 
experience.  I  always  respected  Grim  more 


6 


THE    CONQUEST. 


and  liked  him  less  than  the  younger  brood 
of  dogs,  for  he  seemed  to  have  somewhat 
of  the  dour,  silent,  purposeful  sternness 
of  my  father  in  his  nature,  and  was  ever 
rebuking  me  for  my  very  boyishness. 

"  Come,  Davie,"  said  my  father  sudden- 
ly, "  we'll  cut  off  a  mile  by  going  down 
beside  the  cliffs.  Like  enough  we  will 
strike  on  a  few  of  the  lambs  among  the 
bowlders,  where  there  would  be  shelter.'' 

This  set  my  mind  back  on  the  sheep  once 
more,  and  I  followed  him  meekly  but  hap- 
pily to  the  cliff-path  over  the  sea.  Fifteen 
miles  to  the  north  lay  the  little  port  of 
Rathesby,  and  on  rare  occasions  I  would 
go  thither  with  my  father  and  enjoy  myself 
hugely,  watching  the  fishermen  and  sailors 
swaggering  through  the  cobbled  streets, 
and  hearing  strange  tongues — English  and 
Irish,  and  sometimes  a  snatch  of  Dutch  or 
French.  I  knew  English  well  enough,  and 
south-land  English  at  that,  while  my 
mother  had  taught  me  a  good  knowledge 
of  French ;  but  the  honest  Gaelic  was  our 
home  speech  and  this  I  knew  best  of  all, 
and  loved  best. 

Our  path,  to  give  it  that  distinction,  fol- 
lowed the  winding  edge  of  the  cliff,  where 
many  a  gully  and  ravine  led  down  to  the 
beach  below.  I  cast  longing  glances  at 
these,  and  once  saw  a  shattered  spar  driving 
on  the  rocks,  but  was  careful  to  betray 
naught  of  the  eagerness  that  was  in  me. 
When  my  father  Fergus  had  once  said  a 
thing,  there  was  no  naysaying  it,  which 
was  a  lesson  I  had  learned  long  before. 

Of  a  sudden  Grim  made  a  little  dash 
around  me  and  planted  himself  in  the  path 
before  us.  He  made  no  sound,  but  he  was 
gazing  across  the  moors,  and  to  avoid  step- 
ping on  him  we  stopped  perforce.  It  was 
an  old  trick  of  his,  thus  to  give  us  warn- 
ing, and  I  have  heard  that  in  the  old  days 
Grim  and  Grim's  father  had  accompanied 
more  than  one  fleeing  Covenanter  safely 
through  the  hills  to  shelter. 

Now   these   tales   leaped   into   my   mind 


with  full  force  at  a  muttered  exclamation 
from  my  father,  and  I  saw  a  strange  sight. 
The  sun,  in  the  east,  was  just  breaking 
through  the  storm  clouds,  lighting  up  the 
rolling  heather  a  quarter-mile  beyond  us. 
There,  full  in  its  gleam,  was  a  tiny  splotch 
of  scarlet. 

The  old  days  must  have  returned  on  my 
father,  for  as  I  glanced  at  him  I  saw  his 
hand  leap  to  his  side.  But  the  old  clay- 
more hung  there  no  longer,  and  his  face 
relaxed. 

"What  is  it,  Grim?"  he  said  kindly. 
"  Yon  is  a  scarlet  coat  right  enough,  lad, 
but  scarlet  coats  hunt  men  no  longer  over 
the  moors.  What  make  you  of  it,  Davie?" 

"  No  more  than  you,  father,"  I  replied, 
proud  that  he  had  appealed  to  me.  The 
crimson  dot  was  motionless,  and  no  farther 
from  the  cliffs  than  we.  So,  with  a  word 
to  Grim,  we  walked  along  more  hastily,  the 
sheep  clear  forgot  in  this  new  interest. 
Scarlet  coats  were  uncommon  in  these 
parts,  and  little  liked.  As  we  drew 
nearer  we  began  to  see  that  this  could  be 
no  man,  as  at  first  we  had  thought,  nor 
yet  a  woman.  Indeed,  it  seemed  to  be  a 
garment  flung  down  all  in  a  heap,  and  I 
stared  at  it  in  vain. 

Then  the  sun  outburst  all  around  us. 
As  it  did  so,  the  crimson  thing  yonder 
seemed  to  be  imbued  with  life,  and  my 
father  gave  a  cry  of  amazement. 

"  A  lassie !    Now,  where  can  she — " 

Without  finishing,  he  broke  into  a  run, 
and  I  followed  excitedly,  for  the  figure 
was  plainly  that  of  a  little  girl.  But  what 
a  girl !  She  was  no  more  than  mine  own 
age,  and  the  scarlet  cloak  fell  from  neck 
to  heels  about  her  as  she  came  to  meet 
us.  Over  the  cloak  was  streaming  a  mass 
of  yellow  hair  that  seemed  like  spun  gold 
in  the  sunlight,  and  presently  I  slowed  my 
pace  to  stare  at  her. 

Young  though  I  was,  I  noted  a  peculiar 
quality  in  her  as  she  ran  to  meet  my  father 
with  outstretched  hands,  tears  still  upon 


My  father  gave  a  cry  of  amazement. 
9 


10 


THE    CONQUEST. 


her  cheeks.  I  know  not  how  to  describe 
this  quality,  save  that  it  was  one  of  abso- 
lute faith  and  confidence,  as  if  she  had 
been  waiting  there  for  us.  Old  Grim  hung 
behind,  seemingly  in  doubt,  but  my  father 
caught  the  lassie  to  him,  which  in  itself 
was  quite  enough  to  make  me  all  the  more 
amazed. 

"  Why,  the  bairn's  gey  weet !"  he  cried 
out  in  the  Scots  dialect  he  seldom  or  never 
used.  And  with  that  I  came  up  to  them, 
and  saw  that  in  truth  she  was  dripping 
wet.  In  reply  to  my  father's  words  she 
spoke  to  him,  but  not  in  English  or  Scots, 
nor  in  any  tongue  that  I  had  ever  heard. 

Bewildered  and  somewhat  fearful,  my 
father  addressed  her  in  honest  Gaelic,  but 
she  only  stared  at  him  and  me,  her  arms 
cuddled  around  his  beard  and  neck  in  con- 
tent. Then,  to  my  further  surprise,  she 
laughed  and  broke  out  in  French. 

"You  will  take  me  home,  gentlemen? 
Have  you  seen  my  mother?" 

By  the  words,  I  knew  her  for  a  lady, 
and  stammered  out  what  she  had  said,  to 
my  father.  He,  poor  man,  was  all  for  look- 
ing at  her  bonny  face  and  stroking  her 
hair,  so  I  bespoke  her  in  his  place. 

"  Home  ?  And  where  have  you  come 
from  ?  Where  is  your  mother  ?" 

At  this  her  lips  twisted  apprehensively, 
whereat  my  father  cried  out  on  me  angrily; 
but  she  came  around  right  bravely  and 
made  reply. 

"  We  were  going  back  to  France,  young 
sir.  And  my  mother  was  in  the  boat." 

"In  the  boat!"  I  repeated,  the  truth 
coming  upon  me.  "  Then  how  came  you 
here  ?" 

"  Why,"  she  returned  prettily,  "  it  was 
dark,  and  the  big  waves  frightened  poor 
mother,  and  I  fell  in  the  water  and  got 
all  wet.  Then  I  climbed  out  and  looked 
for  mother,  but  could  not  find  her." 

I  put  her  words  into  Gaelic,  staring  the 
while  at  her  cloak-clasp,  which  was  like 
a  seal  of  gold  bearing  a  coat  of  arms.  But 


when  my  father  heard  the  story  he  drew 
her  to  him  with  a  half-sob. 

"  Davie,  the  lassie  came  ashore  in  the 
storm !  Take  Grim  and  run  down  to  the 
beach.  If  you  find  any  others,  men  or 
women,  bring  them  home.  And  mind,"  he 
flung  over  his  shoulder  savagely,  "  mind 
you  waste  no  time  hunting  for  shells  and 
the  like !" 

He  swung  the  little  maid  to  his  shoulder, 
bidding  Grim  go  with  me,  and  so  was  strid- 
ing off  across  the  moor  before  the  words 
were  done.  I  stared  after  the  two  of  them, 
and  the  lass  waved  a  hand  to  me  gayly 
enough ;  but  as  I  turned  away  I  felt  some- 
thing grip  on  my  throat,  for  well  I  knew 
what  her  story  boded.  Many  a  good  ship 
has  been  blown  north  of  the  Irish  coast 
and  full  upon  our  cliffs,  from  the  time  of 
the  great  Armada  even  to  this  day,  and 
few  of  them  all  have  weathered  the  great 
rocks  that  strew  our  coast  from  Bute  to 
Man. 

There  was  little  hope  in  my  mind  that  I 
would  find  anything  left  of  that  "  boat " 
the  maid  spoke  of.  but  I  called  Grim  and 
started  for  the  nearest  gully  leading  down 
to  the  shore.  Soon  the  rocks  were  tower- 
ing above  me,  and  the  beat  of  the  surf 
thundered  ahead,  and  then  I  entered  a  little 
sheltered  cove  where  I  had  gathered  shells 
many  a  time. 

Almost  at  my  feet  there  was  a  boat — 
a  ship's  longboat,  rolling  bottom  side  up 
on  the  rocks.  I  stood  looking  around,  but 
could  see  no  living  thing  on  the  spray-wet 
rocks  that  glittered  black  in  the  sunlight. 
Then  Grim  gave  a  little  growl  and  pawed 
at  something  just  below  us.  I  felt  a  thrill, 
for  more  than  once  he  had  found  in  just 
such  fashion  the  body  of  a  dead  sailor,  but 
as  I  stooped  down  to  the  object  rolling  in 
the  foam  I  saw  it  was  nothing  but  a  help- 
less crab  washed  up  into  a  pocket.  I  pulled 
him  out  with  a  jerk  and  flung  him  back  in- 
to the  waves,  turning  away.  The  longboat 
was  not  worth  saving,  being  battered  to 


THE    CONQUEST. 


11 


pieces,  and  if  any  of  the  crew  had  reached 
the  shore  they  were  not  in  sight. 

So  Grim  and  I  returned  home  across  the 
moor.  How  had  a  French  ship  come  so 
far  north,  and  on  our  western  coasts  too, 
I  wondered  ?  As  we  went,  Grim  found 
a  score  of  sheep  clustered  in  a  hollow, 
so  I  hastened  on  and  left  him  to  drive 
the  poor  brutes  home. 

When  I  reached  the  house  I  made 
report  of  my  errand,  seeking  some  trace 
of  the  maid.  But  she  was  asleep  in  my 
own  cot,  and  her  crimson  cloak  was  dry- 
ing before  the  peat-fire,  which  seemed  more 
like  to  fill  it  with  smoke  than  dryness. 

"  Did  you  find  who  she  was  or  whence?" 
I  asked  my  mother,  knowing  that  she  spoke 
the  French  tongue  far  better  than  I. 

"  The  poor  child  knew  naught,"  she  re- 
plied, as  she  mixed  a  bowl  of  broth  and 
set  it  to  keep  warm.  "  The  only  name 
she  knows  is  Marie — 

"  Which  will  be  spoke  no  more  in  my 
house,"  broke  out  my  father  with  a  black 
frown.  "  I  doubt  not  the  lassie's  people 
were  rank  Papists — 

"Shame  on  you.  Fergus!"  cried  my 
mother  indignantly,  facing  him.  "  When 
a  poor  shipwrecked  bairn  comes  and  clings 
her  arms  about  your  neck,  you  name  her 
Papist — shame  on  you !  Begone  about  your 
business,  and  let  sleeping  dogs  lie,  Fergus 
MacDonald.  Cameron  and  Claverhouse 
are  both  forgot,  and  see  to  it — 

But  my  father  had  incontinently  fled  out 
the  door  to  get  in  the  sheep,  and  my 
mother  laughed  as  she  turned  to  me  and 
bade  me  give  the  red  cloak  a  twist  to 
"  clear  the  peat  out  of  it." 

Now,  that  was  the  manner  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  little  maid.  Two  days  later 
my  father  took  me  to  Rathesby  with  him 
to  seek  out  her  folk,  if  that  might  be. 
But  no  tidings  had  been  brought  of  any 
wreck,  and  the  best  we  might  do  was  to 
write — with  much  difficulty,  for  my  father 
was  ever  handier  with  staff  than  with 


pen — a  letter  to  Edinburgh,  making  a  rude 
copy  of  the  arms  on  the  gold  buckle,  and 
seeking  to  know  what  family  bore  those 
arms.  No  reply  ever  came  to  this  letter,  and 
whether  it  ever  arrived  we  never  knew. 

And  for  this  we  were  all  content  enough, 
I  think.  The  lassie  had  twined  herself 
about  my  mother's  heart  by  her  winning 
ways,  and  that  confident,  all-trusting  mat- 
ter laid  hold  strongly  upon  my  father's 
heart,  so  that  ere  many  weeks  it  was  de- 
cided that  she  should  stay  with  us  until 
her  folk  should  come  to  seek  her. 

I  remember  that  there  was  some  diffi- 
culty over  naming  her,  for  my  father 
would  have  called  her  Ruth,  which  he 
plucked  at  random  from  the  Bible  on  the 
hearth.  I  think  my  mother  was  set  on 
calling  her  Mary,  but  the  name  of  Mary 
Stuart  was  hard  in  my  father's  memory, 
and  he  would  not. 

So  the  weeks  lengthened  into  months, 
and  the  months  into  years,  and  ever  Ruth 
and  I  were  as  brother  and  sister  in  the 
farmstead  at  Ayrby.  She  learned  English 
readily  enough,  but  the  Gaelic  tongue  was 
hard  for  her,  which  was  great  sorrow  to 
my  father  all  his  days. 


CHAPTER  IT. 

GIB    O'    CLARCLACH. 

SEVEN  of  those  years  were  the  happiest 
of  all  my  life,  perhaps.  Ruth  and  I 
dwelt  quiet  at  home,  and  between 
whiles  of  the  work  my  mother  taught 
us  much  that  we  had  never  known  else. 
She  was  of  good  family,  of  the  Eastoun 
Errols,  and  how  she  came  to  love  my 
father,  who  was  rough  and  rude,  was  al- 
ways something  of  a  mystery  to  me.  But 
love  him  she  did,  and  he  her,  and  it  was  a 
bad  day  for  Fergus  MacDonald  when  my 
mother  died. 


12 


THE    COX  QUEST. 


This  happening  took  place  seven  years 
after  the  coming  of  Ruth,  and  was  a  sore 
grief  to  all  of  us.  I  never  realized  just 
how  sore  a  grief  it  was  to  my  father, 
Fergus,  until  later.  She  was  buried  beside 
those  of  the  Covenant  who  had  escaped 
the  harrying  to  die  in  peace,  and  I  mind 
me  that  it  was  on  a  cold,  gray  day  which 
gave  us  little  cheer. 

The  elder,  old  Alec  Gordon,  had  carried 
pistol  and  sword  at  Ayrsmoss,  being  given 
to  preaching  later  in  life.  His  mind  was 
a  bitter  one.  setting  well  with  that  of  my 
father,  and  this  clay  of  my  mother's  funeral 
gave  me  a  distaste  for  the  men  of  the 
Covenant  that  I  never  outgrew.  When  it 
was  all  over  I  crept  away  and  went  down 
to  the  cliff-edge,  where  Ruth  presently 
joined  me,  and  we  sat  along  with  the 
heart-hunger  that  was  eating  at  us  until 
the  night-mists  warned  us  home. 

For  many  days  thereafter  my  father 
spoke  few  words,  and  of  a  sudden  his  age 
had  come  upon  him,  together  with  a 
strange  unrest  that  I  had  not  seen  in  him 
before.  But  still  we  abode  there  on  the 
old  farm  until  I  was  almost  nineteen,  and 
Ruth,  as  we  guessed,  a  year  younger.  Then 
came  the  first  of  those  strange  happenings 
that  led  us  so  far  afield  and  drew  us  into 
so  weird  a  strand  of  Fortune's  net  before 
we  had  done. 

Two  years  after  my  mother's  death,  my 
father  began  to  have  a  succession  of  visit- 
ors. There  was  much  talk  in  those  days  of 
the  new  lands  over  sea,  and  the  rich  farms 
to  be  had  there  for  the  taking.  From 
what  scattered  words  that  came  to  us,  Ruth 
and  I  judged  rightly  enough  that  these 
folk  were  talking  of  the  plantations  to  my 
father,  and  so  indeed  it  proved.  Alec  Gor- 
don was  the  most  constant  visitor,  and  in 
time  it  came  out  that  he  would  make  a 
settlement  in  the  new  world,  of  a  number 
of  our  folk.  My  father  was  much  taken 
with  the  scheme,  as  were  Muckle  Jock  Grier 
and  Tarn  Graham,  and  others  of  the  fami- 


lies Hear  by.  At  length  my  father  an- 
nounced that  the  next  day  but  one  Ruth 
and  I  should  go  with  him  to  Rathesby. 

His  temper  was  dour  and  sullen  in  these 
days,  and  I  dared  not' question  him  over- 
much, but  Ruth  got  the  truth  of  the  matter 
out  of  him  on  the  way  to  town.  It  seemed 
that  the  elder,  Alec  Gordon,  had  prevailed 
upon  a  dozen  families  to  carry  the  Covenant 
to  the  Xew  World,  and  there  to  found  a 
settlement  to  the  glory  of  God,  where  there 
would  be  none  to  interfere  or  hinder,  and 
where,  as  my  father  put  it,  "  a  new  folk 
might  be  given  growth  by  the  Lord's  grace, 
free  from  the  temptations  of  the  world  and 
the  wiles  of  the  devil."  But  there  were 
more  devils  in  the  Xew  World  than  my 
father  or  old  Alec  wotted  of. 

I  think  he  was  much  moved  to  this  end 
by  thought  of  Ruth  and  me,  for  he  was 
earnest  that  we  should  follow  in  his  foot- 
steps and  grow  up  God-fearing,  respected 
young  folk  such  as  Lang  Robin  Grier. 
Now  I  ever  was,  and  am  still,  I  trust.  God- 
fearing;' but  sour  faces  were  little  to  my 
liking,  and  ranting  Lang  Robin  much  less. 
I  mind  me  that  when  Robin  would  have 
impressed  some  doctrinal  point  upon  Ruth, 
with  many  wise  sayings  and  much  doubt- 
ing that  her  mind  was  sound  in  the  faith, 
I  went  home  with  sore  knuckles,  and  Robin 
went  home  with  a  sore  face  and  a  story 
that  wrought  much  discredit  upon  me. 
Howbeit,  to  my  tale. 

We  rode  into  Rathesby,  where  my  father 
was  to  see  Wat  Herries,  the  master  of  the 
stout  lugger  that  sailed  to  Ireland  and 
France  and  beyond,  and  that  even  then  lay 
in  Rathesby  bay.  Smaller  vessels  than  the 
"  Lass  o'  Dee "  had  passed  overseas  in 
safety,  and  my  father  trusted  in  the  hand 
of  God  more  than  he  trusted  in  the  hand 
of  Wat  Herries. 

It  was  still  early  morn  when  we  reached 
the  port  and  put  up  our  ponies  at  the  Pur- 
ple Heather,  kept  by  old  Gib  Lennox.  Then 
mv  father  told  me  to  wander  at  mv  will, 


THE    CONQUEST. 


13 


taking  good  care  of  Ruth  and  returning  at 
midday,  while  he  strode  off  in  search  of 
Master  Herries.  The  "  Lass,"  we  found,  was 
newly  come  from  France,  and  in  her  crew 
were  many  dark-faced  fellows  whose  tongue 
sounded  sweet  in  the  ears  of  Ruth,  so  that 
we  had  to  stop  more  than  once  and  listen. 

In  the  front  of  her  cloak,  now  a  modest 
gray  one,  she  wore  that  same  brooch  with 
which  she  had  come  to  us.  I  had  hard 
work  to  keep  her  from  speaking  to  the 
strange  men  in  their  own  tongue,  but  after 
a  time  we  came  to  the  edge  of  the  town 
and  sat  there  among  the  rocks,  well  content 
to  watch  the  lugger  in  the  harbor  and  the 
fishing  boats  that  lay  around  her. 

As  we  sat  there  two  men  came  stroll- 
ing by — two  of  the  sailors  whom  we  had 
seen  in  the  town.  One  was  ordinary 
enough,  the  other  a  not  ill-favored  rogue 
save  for  deep  pock-marks  on  his  face  that 
bespoke  the  plague,  and  a  roving,  cunning 
eye  that  bespoke  a  shifty  soul.  These 
passed  so  close  that  their  talk  floated  to 
us,  and  naught  would  do  Ruth  but  that  I 
must  call  them  over  so  that  she  might 
speak  to  them  in  French.  Whereat,  some- 
what sullenly,  I  obeyed,  and  the  men 
strolled  across  the  shingle  to  us. 

"  And  what  might  you  wish,  pretty 
maid?"  asked  the  pock-marked  fellow  civil- 
ly enough. 

"  I  but  wished  to  hear  the  French  tongue, 
sir,"  she  replied  with  a  smile.  "  It  is 
long  since  I  have  spoken  it — why,  what  is 
the  matter?" 

For  a  sudden  the  man  had  given  a  little 
start,  his  eyes  fixed  on  her  throat.  Then 
he  stared  into  her  eyes,  and  at  the  look  of 
him  I  half  gained  my  feet. 

"  Your  name?"  he  asked  quickly.  "  \Yhat 
is  your  name,  little  one?" 

"  What  is  that  to  you,  fellow  ?"  I  made 
hot  answer,  angry  at  his  insolence.  But 
Ruth  caught  my  sleeve  and  pulled  me  down. 

"  Nay,  Davie !  Why  should  he  not  know  ? 
It  were  but  civil  to  speak  him  fair,  after 


calling  to  him.  My  name  is  Ruth,  Ruth 
MacDonald,"  she  added  in  French.  At 
this  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  man  stared 
harder  than  ever,  a  puzzled  look  in  his 
face. 

"  And  how  come  you  to  speak  our 
tongue?"  he  said,  smiling  quickly,  so  that 
I  lost  my  anger.  "  It  is  strange  to  find 
one  on  these  coasts  who  speaks  so  well  and 
fluently !" 

Ruth  replied  that  she  had  had  good 
teachers,  and  after  a  few  words  more  the 
men  walked  on.  But  I  noted  that  the  one 
we  had  spoken  with  flung  back  more  than 
one  glance,  and  I  was  glad  when  midday 
came  and  we  made  our  way  back  to  the 
inn  to  eat. 

There  we  found  my  father  in  deep  con- 
verse with  Master  Herries,  a  hearty  man 
of  some  two-score  years,  and  straightway 
all  thought  of  the  two  seamen  fled  my 
mind.  For  now  the  talk  was  all  of  lading 
and  cargo,  of  whether  sheep  might  be 
fetched  in  the  lugger  and  of  how  many 
persons  might  sail  with  her.  My  father  was 
set  on  taking  with  us  as  many  sheep  as 
might  be,  notwithstanding  Wat  Herries  told 
him  there  was  little  sheep-land  in  the  plan- 
tations. 

While  we  ate  and  listened,  Alec  Gordon 
came  in  and  brought  a  list  of  all  those 
who  had  covenanted  to  go  on  the  "  Lass." 
The  price  was  then  agreed  on,  and  much 
against  my  will  my  father  bade  me  take 
Ruth  forth  again  for  an  hour  or  two,  as 
the  inn  was  filling  with  seamen  who  drank 
much  and  talked  loud,  and  there  was  but 
the  one  room. 

So  down  to  the  sea  we  went  once  again, 
having  had  our  fill  of  the  town-sights,  and 
wandered  south  along  the  low  cliffs  and  the 
shore.  Luckily  enough,  as  it  chanced,  I 
picked  up  a  water-clean  cudgel  that  lay 
among  the  rocks  and  used  it  in  sport  as  a 
staff.  A  bit  after,  I  espied  a  small  cuttle- 
fish washed  into  a  pool,  and  swooped  down 
on  the  place  in  delight.  But  Ruth,  who 


14 


THH    CONQUEST. 


cared  little  for  such  creations  as  had  snaky 
arms  and  hideous  aspect,  rambled  onward 
among  the  rocks. 

I  was  much  concerned  with  my  find,  and 
had  great  sport.  Once  the  foot-long  arms 
were  wound  around  that  stick  of  mine,  the 
creature  would  not  let  go,  even  though  I 
beat  him  gently  against  the  rock.  I  had  no 
mind  to  lose  the  cudgel  by  leaving  it  there, 
and  neither  had  I  cruelty  enough  to  crush 
out  the  life  of  the  ugly  creature,  so  I 
stayed  and  fought  gently  with  him  and 
forgot  the  passage  of  time. 

On  a  sudden  came  a  faint  cry  to  my 
ears  and  I  heard  my  name  as  if  called 
from  far  away.  Looking  up,  I  saw  no  one 
and  remembered  that  Ruth  had  gone  on 
alone.  Thinking  that  she  had  fallen  into 
some  pool  among  the  rocks,  mayhap,  I 
caught  up  the  stick,  cuttlefish  and  all,  and 
ran  to  the  point  of  rocks  that  hid  the 
farther  shore  from  me.  And  there  I  gave 
a  great  cry  of  anger  and  amazement. 

For,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant,  I  saw 
Ruth  being  carried  up  the  cliff  by  two 
men.  Though  I  could  not  see  them  well, 
for  they  were  in  the  cliff-shadow,  I  re- 
membered the  two  seamen  instantly.  With- 
out pausing  to  think,  I  ran  swiftly  back 
to  a  little  path  that  led  up  the  cliff,  in 
white  anger.  I  knew  these  parts  well,  and 
when  I  gained  the  crest  I  would  be  betwixt 
the  three  and  the  town. 

In  this  thought  I  was  right,  for  in  my 
haste  I  had  beat  them  to  the  cliff-top  and 
was  running  toward  them  when  they  ap- 
peared. Plainly  they  had  not  counted  on 
me,  because  as  I  appeared  they  seemed  no 
little  alarmed.  Then  when  I  drew  near, 
there  came  a  flash  of  steel  in  the  sun- 
light and  my  heart  stood  still,  lest  they 
injure  Ruth. 

But  whatever  their  intention,  it  was  un- 
fulfilled. Before  I  could  get  to  them  Ruth 
began  to  struggle,  and  broke  away  just 
as  the  knives  gleamed.  One  of  the  rogues 
wanted  to  run,  but  the  other  called  to  him 


to  stay  steady  and  regain  the  maid  when 
they  had  flung  the  boy  over  the  cliff.  This 
did  not  serve  to  calm  me  over-much,  and 
I  must  have  clean  forgot  to  fear  their 
knives. 

As  I  ran  up,  the  one  of  them  sprang, 
but  I  whirled  around  the  cudgel,  which 
the  cuttlefish  yet  clung  to.  The  swing  of 
it  flung  him  off,  and  while  I  was  still  a 
few  paces  from  the  seaman  I  saw  the  crea- 
ture strike  him  full  in  the  face,  as  though 
thrown  from  a  hand-sling—though  it  was 
the  sheerest  good  fortune.  With  a  great 
shriek  the  man  turned  and  made  off,  clutch- 
ing at  his  face,  and  I  saw  no  more  of  him 
after. 

But  with  the  second  man,  him  of  the 
pock-marks,  I  was  right  soon  busied. 
Amazed  as  he  was  at  the  somewhat  ludi- 
crous fate  of  his  fellow,  he  came  at  me 
evilly.  With  a  quick  motion  I  shortened 
the  cudgel  and  stabbed  him  in  the  breast 
with  it,  the  point  of  his  knife  just  shear- 
ing through  my  shirt,  but  harming  me  not 
at  all.  Then  I  gripped  him  by  the  neck 
and  wrist. 

Now  we  MacDonalds  have  ever  been 
accounted  strong  men,  and  although  scant 
nineteen,  my  father  was  wont  to  say  that  I 
promised  not  to  disgrace  the  family  in  my 
strength.  That  was  no  light  praise  from 
his  lips,  but  I  never  knew  the  worth  of  it 
till  I  gripped  that  seaman  in  my  two  hands. 
The  anger  that  was  upon  me  for  the  sake 
of  Ruth  was  so  great  that  there  seemed  to 
be  a  red  haze  in  my  eyes,  and  then  I  real- 
ized that  the  man  had  dropped  his  knife 
and  was  all  but  limp.  Whereat  I  lifted  him 
up  and  threw  him  to  the  heather,  where  he 
lay  quiet. 

Then  I  knew  that  Ruth  was  hanging  to 
my  arm,  pleading  with  me  not  to  harm  the 
man.  I  stared  down  at  her,  breathing 
heavily,  and  wondered  what  to  do  with  him. 

"  Were  you  hurt,  lassie  ?"  I  asked  in 
haste. 

"  No,  Davie.     They  came  upon  me  sud- 


THE    CONQUEST. 


15 


denly,  and  I  had  but  time  to  cry  to  you 
before  they  clapped  a  kerchief  to  my  mouth 
and  lifted  me.  At  the  top  of  the  cliff  I 
broke  from  them.  But — oh,  I  fear  me  you 
have  hurt  this  man  sore !" 

"  And  well  enough  for  him,"  I  responded 
grimly.  "  He  is  like  to  be  worse  hurt  when 
my  father  lays  hands  on  him." 

"  David !  Surely  they  are  punished 
enough !"  she  cried  out.  Looking  down 
at  her,  I  saw  that  her  golden  hair  was 
streaming  free  and  in  her  face  was  that 
same  all-trusting  look  wherewith  she  had 
met  us  nine  years  before.  The  memory  of 
that  day  struck  me  like  a  shock,  so  that  I 
stared  speechless.  Just  then  the  sailor 
groaned,  rolled  over,  and  sat  up.  I  put  my 
foot  on  his  knife,  debating  whether  to  hale 
him  to  Rathesby  or  not. 

"  Let  him  go,  David,"  pleaded  Ruth. 
"  Truly,  they  did  me  no  harm,  and  if  father 
knew  of  it  he  would  be  very  angry.  Do 
not  tell  him,  Davie,  for  it  can  do  no  good 
and  will  only  make  him  dour  for  days." 

Now  this  was  true  enough,  and  when  the 
flame  of  my  wrath  had  quieted  somewhat  I 
was  not  over-anxious  to  kindle  the  flame 
again  in  my  father's  heart.  So  I  looked 
down  at  the  man  and  bade  him  stand  up, 
which  he  did  with  a  groan,  rubbing  his 
neck. 

"  Who  are  you,"  I  asked  sternly.  "  What 
was  your  intent?" 

He  glanced  from  me  to  Ruth,  an  odd 
gleam  in  his  crafty  eyes  which  liked  me 
little.  He  seemed  to  hesitate  before  an- 
swering, though  I  had  spoken  in  his  own 
tongue. 

"  I  am  called  Gib  o'  Clarclach,"  he  re- 
plied surlily,  in  right  good  Gaelic.  As  I 
stared  in  amazement,  he  darted  a  venomous 
look  at  me.  "  But  elsewhere  I  am  known 
as  The  Pike,"  he  added,  "  and  I  have 
friends  you  wot  not  of,  stripling.  So  best 
say  no  more  of  this." 

"  That  for  you  and  your  friends,"  and 
I  snapped  my  fingers.  "  What  wanted  you 


with  this  maid?  Answer,  or  you  lie  in 
Rathesby  gaol  this  night." 

But  all  the  answer  I  got  was  a  mocking 
laugh,  as  the  fellow  sprang  away  and  was 
gone  down  the  cliff-path.  I  plunged  for- 
ward, but  Ruth's  hand  clutched  mine  and 
her  voice  pulled  me  back.  "  Nay,  Davie  ! 
Leave  him  go  and  let  us  return — for — for 
I  am  afraid !" 

And  the  little  sob  she  gave  held  me  to 
her  more  than  her  grip,  so  that  I  laid  her 
head  against  my  shoulder  and  comforted 
her  until  she  smiled  once  more.  But  she 
did  not  smile  until  I  had  promised  to  say 
no  word  of  the  affair  to  my  father  Fergus. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  "  LASS  O'  DEE  "  SAILS. 

WE  talked  little  on  the  way  back  to 
the  town,  but  none  the  less  I  was 
wondering  greatly.  So  this  seem- 
ing Frenchman  could  talk  good  Gaelic 
speech,  as  well  as  chatter  French !  That 
set  me  to  marveling,  for  he  looked  like 
a  Frenchman  right  enough.  And  what  he 
called  himself— The  Pike!  Surely  that 
was  no  name  for  an  honest  man  to  bear, 
considering  what  kind  of  fish  the  pike  was, 
even  had  the  very  giving  of  such  a  name 
not  been  a  heathenish  and  outlandish  thing. 
I  had  heard  that  the  heathen  in  the  colo- 
nies were  named  after  beasts  and  birds,  and 
so  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  must 
have  lived  overseas.  His  Gaelic,  however, 
was  not  that  of  the  west  coast,  but  held 
the  burn  of  the  Highlands. 

I  kept  all  this  thinking  to  myself  for  the 
next  few  days.  No  harm  had  been  done 
Ruth,  so  no  harm  had  come  of  it;  though 
why  they  dared  to  carry  off  a  Scots  maiden 
so  near  home  was  more  than  I  could  ex- 
plain. In  the  end  I  gave  up  the  attempt, 
having  other  thing*  to  busy  myself  with. 


16 


THE    CONQUEST. 


When  we  had  reached  the  inn  once  more 
we  found  my  father  ready  to  depart.  With 
him  was  sour  old  Alec  Gordon,  who  would 
bide  with  us  at  Ayrby  over  night.  They 
rode  on  ahead,  and  from  their  talking  Ruth 
and  I  gained  some  inkling  of  the  great 
scheme. 

The  "  Lass  "  had  been  engaged  to  take 
over  the  expedition  upon  her  return  from 
the  next  cruise,  which  would  be  in  a 
month's  time.  This  would  give  us  who 
were  going  plenty  of  time  to  sell  our  farms 
and  stock  and  to  make  all  ready  for  de- 
parture. As  to  selling  these,  there  would 
be  little  trouble  about  that,  for  the  hill 
folk  and  those  from  the  south  would  be 
glad  enough  to  take  them  over  and  pay 
ready  cash.  We  of  the  west  have  alway 
been  accounted  poor  folk,  but  even  in  those 
days  it  was  a  poor  farm  indeed  that  did  not 
have  a  leathern  sack  hidden  away  beneath 
the  hearth,  with  something  therein  to  clink. 
The  days  of  Claverhouse  had  taught  the 
west  folk  a  stern  lesson. 

Neither  Ruth  nor  I  was  greatly  in  favor 
of  seeking  the  New  World.  We  had  many 
a  conversation  about  Gib  o'  Clarclach, 
which  usually  resolved  itself  into  wonder- 
ing why  he  had  stared  so  at  the  golden 
brooch;  and  in  the  end  Ruth  placed  it 
away  and  wore  it  no  more  until  our  de- 
parture. She  loved  our  home,  with  its 
rolling  moors  and  cliffs  and  mountains,  and 
could  see  no  reason  for  change;  for  that 
matter,  neither  could  my  father,  except 
that,  as  I  said  before,  he  was  restless  and 
thinking  about  our  future  state. 

As  for  me,  I  was  wild  to  stay.  Most 
lads  would  have  wanted  to  cross  the  world, 
but  not  I.  for  there  was  great  talk 
of  the  Stuart  in  the  air.  My  father,  who 
held  all  Stuarts  for  Papists,  was  bitter 
strong  for  Orange  and  the  Dutch,  but  the 
romance  of  Prince  Charles  was  eager  in 
me.  There  were  constant  rumors  that  the 
French  fleet  was  coming,  that  men  were 
arming  in  the  Highlands,  and  that  the 


clans  and  the  men  of  the  Isles  were  up, 
but  nothing  came  of  it  all  and  our  prepa- 
rations went  steadily  forward. 

It  was  no  light  task  in  those  days  to  go 
into  the  New  World  and  found  a  settle- 
ment there.  We  were  to  take  a  dozen 
sheep,  and  my  father  refused  to  part  with 
Grim,  of  course.  All  the  rest  was  to  be 
handed  over  to  my  father's  kinsman,  Ian 
MacDonald,  together  with  the  stead  itself. 
Our  personal  possessions  were  all  packed 
stoutly  in  three  great  chests  of  oak  bound 
with  iron,  and  into  one  of  these  went 
Ruth's  little  red  cloak,  that  my  mother  had 
kept  always. 

Those  were  sad  days  for  us.  were  the 
days  of  parting.  There  was  ever  some- 
thing of  the  woman  in  my  boy  nature,  I 
think,  for  it  grieved  me  sore  to  part  with 
the  things  I  had  known  all  my  life,  but 
especially  to  turn  over  to  strangers  the 
things  about  the  house  that  my  mother  had 
loved  and  used.  There  was  a  big  crock,  I 
remember,  which  she  had  used  for  making 
the  porridge  every  morning,  and  Ruth  after 
her ;  this  my  father  would  not  let  us  pack, 
saying  that  broken  pots  would  make  poor 
porridge  in  the  colonies. 

"  Then  it  shall  make  porridge  no  more," 
I  replied  hotly,  and  caught  up  the  heavy 
crock.  Ruth  gave  a  little  cry  as  it  shat- 
tered on  the  hearthstone,  and  I  looked  to 
feel  my  father's  staff.  But  instead,  he  only 
gazed  across  the  room  and  nodded  to  him- 
self. 

"  Let  be,  Davie  lad.  We  cannot  always 
dash  our  crocks  upon  the  stones  and  start 
anew.  Now  fetch  in  some  peat  ere  the 
fire  dies." 

Very  humbly,  and  a  good  bit  ashamed, 
I  obeyed.  I  had  not  thought  there  was  so 
much  restraint  in  my  father,  of  late. 

To  tell  the  honest  truth,  Fergus  Mac- 
Donald,  as  the  neighbors  said,  was  "  fey  " 
ever  since  the  death  of  my  mother.  He 
would  take  his  staff  and  Grim  and  so  stride 
across  the  moors,  return  home  in  the  eve- 


THE    CONQUEST. 


17 


ning,  and  speak  no  word  for  hours. 
These  moods  had  been  growing  on  him, 
but  the  bustle  and  stir  of  our  preparations 
seemed  to  wake  him  out  of  himself  in 
some  degree,  for  which  I  was  duly 
thankful. 

The  day  of  sailing  had  been  set  for  the 
end  of  May,  in  the  year  1710.  Alec  Gor- 
don rode  over  with  the  word  that  the 
"  Lass "  had  returned  and  her  cargo — 
which  as  all  knew,  was  contraband — had 
been  safely  "  run  "  farther  down  the  coast. 
The  Griers  were  already  in  Rathesby,  with 
two  or  three  other  families,  and  old  Alec 
was  gathering  his  flock  together  for  the 
voyage. 

So  early  the  next  morning  we  shut  up 
the  stead  for  Ian  to  take  charge  when 
he  would,  and  departed  for  ever,  as  it 
seemed.  We  rode  but  slowly,  Grim  driv- 
ing the  sheep  steadily  before  him  and  us, 
until  we  came  to  a  roll  of  the  moor  we 
paused  for  a  last  look  at  the  old  place. 
As  we  turned  away  I  caught  a  sparkle  on 
my  father's  gray  beard  and  the  sight  put 
a  sudden  sob  in  my  throat;  as  for  Ruth, 
she  made  no  secret  of  her  tears.  And 
thus  we  left  the  little  gray  house  behind 
us  and  rode  with  out  faces  toward  the  west 
and  the  sound  of  the  sea  beating  on  our 
ears. 

We  came  down  to  Rathesby  at  last  and 
found  the  little  port  in  wild  confusion. 
In  all,  there  were  eight  families  leaving — 
the  Griers,  two  Grahams,  three  of  the 
Gordons,  Auld  Lag  Hamilton  and  his  sons, 
and  our  own  little  party  from  Ayrby.  All 
that  afternoon  we  were  busy  getting  the 
sheep  stowed  away  on  board — which  Wat 
Herries  considered  sheer  foolishness,  as  I 
did  myself — and  for  that  night  we  put  up 
at  the  Purple  Heather,  the  women  sleep- 
ing in  the  guest-rooms  while  we  men 
rolled  up  in  our  plaids  and  lay  in  the 
great  room  down  below. 

There  was  much  talking  that  night  ere 
the  rushlights  were  blown  out,  and  I 


learned  that  our  destination  was  to  be  the 
colony  taken  from  the  Dutch  long  before 
and  renamed  New  York,  where  land  might 
be  had  for  the  taking.  Indeed,  I  learned 
for  the  first  time  that  Alec  Gordon  had 
not  gone  into  this  venture  blindly,  but  had 
procured  letters  to  the  folk  there  from 
others  of  the  faith  in  Holland,  so  that  we 
were  sure  of  a  goodly  welcome. 

There  was  one  matter  that  troubled  me 
greatly  that  night,  and  kept  sleep  from 
me  for  a  long  time.  This  was  that  while 
we  were  loading  sheep  aboard  that  day  I 
had  seen  a  face  among  Master  Herries' 
crew,  and  it  was  the  face  of  Gib  o'  Clar- 
clach,  as  he  called  himself.  I  wondered  at 
his  daring  to  return  in  the  "  Lass,"  know- 
ing her  loading  and  her  errand,  a'nd  for 
a  moment  I  was  tempted  to  have  a  word 
with  Herries  himself  on  the  matter.  How- 
beit,  I  decided  against  it  and  thereupon 
fell  off  to  sleep,  concluding  that  the  man 
had  sufficient  punishment  already  and  that 
to  pursue  him  for  a  past  fault  would  be 
no  worthy  end.  But  in  days  to  come  I 
repented  me  much  of  this,  as  you  shall  see. 

In  the  morning  we  made  a  hasty  break- 
fast together,  and  assembled  in  the  big 
room  for  a  last  prayer.  It  was  like  to 
be  morning-long,  and  after  taking  due  part 
for  an  hour  I  slipped  quietly  through  the 
door;  not  out  of  disrespect,  but  out  of 
sheer  weariness,  for  Alec  Gordon  was 
famed  for  his  long-windedness.  Master 
Herries  and  his  men  were  waiting  aboard 
the  "  Lass,"  but  as  I  watched  the  ship 
from  the  bench  outside  the  inn,  I  was 
aware  of  a  man  calling  my  name  and 
pointing. 

Turning,  I  saw  that  he  was  directing  me 
to  the  hillsides,  and  there  in  the  gleam 
of  the  sunlight  I  saw  a  dozen  men  riding 
breakneck  toward  the  port. 

"  Best  get  auld  Alec  out,"  suggested  the 
fisherman,  and  the  look  of  him  told  me 
there  was  more  afoot  than  I  knew.  So, 
taking  my  courage  in  hand,  I  slipped  in 


18 


THE    CONQUEST. 


through  the  side  door  again  and  so  up 
behind  the  elder,  in  the  shadow  of  the  big 
settle.  Waiting  till  he  had  finished  a 
drawn-out  phrase,  I  leaned  toward  his  ear. 

"  Alec  Gordon,  there  be  men  riding  hard 
down  the  moors." 

It  seemed  to  me  that  his  face  changed 
quickly,  but  not  his  voice,  for  he  continued 
quietly  enough. 

"  Tarn  Graham,  lead  your  flock  to  the 
boats.  Do  you  follow  him,  Fergus,  and 
all  of  you  make  what  haste  is  possible." 
With  that  he  fell  into  the  border  tongue  as 
they  all  looked  up  in  amazement.  "  Scram- 
ble oot,  freends  !"  he  cried  hastily.  "  The 
kye  are  in  the  corn  !" 

Now  well  enough  I  knew  that  for  the 
old  alarm-cry  of  the  men  of  Cameron,  nor 
was  I  the  only  one.  There  was  a  single 
deep  murmur,  and  the  Grahams  poured 
forth  into  the  street.  After  them  came 
the  rest  of  us,  I  falling  in  at  Ruth's  side 
behind  my  father,  and  we  hastened  down 
to  the  boats.  I  failed  utterly  to  see  what 
danger  there  could  be,  and  cast  back  an 
eye  at  the  riders.  They  were  still  a  quar- 
ter-mile away,  but  coming  on  furiously. 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell,  we 
were  into  the  small  boats  and  rowing  out 
to  the  ship.  As  I  scrambled  up  the  side 
I  could  hear  the  clatter  of  hoofs  on  the 
cobbles,  but  above  us  there  was  a  creak  of 
ropes  and  a  flutter  of  canvas.  Then  there 
came  shouts  from  shore,  but  we  could  not 
hear  the  words  and  paid  no  heed. 

"  Hasten !"  shouted  Master  Herries, 
roaring  like  a  bull  at  the  men,  and  we 
saw  a  boat  pulling  out  from  shore.  It 
reached  us  just  as  our  anchor  lifted, 
and  over  the  rail  scrambled  a  stout  man 
waving  a  parchment  with  dangling  seals. 

"  Halt,  in  the  Royal  name  !"  he  squeaked, 
and  my  father  stepped  out  to  him. 

"What's  a'  the  steer  aboot?"  asked  my 
father  quietly.  At  this  I  looked  for  trou- 
ble, for  it  was  in  my  mind  that  whenever 
Fergus  MacDonald  had  come  to  using  the 


Scots  dialect,  there  had  been  doings  after- 
ward. 

"  Ha'  ye  permission  to  gan  awa'  frae 
Scotland?"  cried  the  stout  man,  puffing  and 
blowing  as  he  glared  around.  "  Well  ye 
ken  ye  hae  nane,  Fergus  MacDonald,  an' 
since  I  hae  coom  in  siccan  a  de'il's  hurry — 

"  Be  off,"  broke  in  my  father  sternly, 
pointing  to  the  shore.  For  answer  the  fel- 
low waved  out  his  parchment  splutter- 
ing something  about  the  "  Royal  com- 
meesioner  "  that  I  did  not  fully  catch.  But 
my  father  caught  it  well  enough,  and  his 
face  went  black  as  he  strode  forward  and 
lifted  the  stout  man  in  both  hands,  easily. 

"  Say  to  him  it  wad  fit  him  better  to  look 
to  his  ain  life  than  ours,"  he  roared,  and 
therewith  heaved  up  the  man  and  sent  him 
overside  into  the  bay.  Wat  Herries  cried 
out  sharply  to  duck  behind  the  bulwarks 
lest  shot  be  flying,  but  there  was  none  of 
that.  I  saw  the  stout  man  picked  up  by 
his  boat  and  return  to  shore,  shaking  his  fist 
vainly  at  the  laughter  which  met  and 
followed  him;  then  the  wind  bellied  out  our 
sails  and  the  voyage  was  begun.  A  little 
later  it  came  out  that  news  had  spread 
abroad  of  our  purpose  and  that  the  com- 
missioner had  wished  to  stop  us,  but  for 
what  reason  I  never  knew. 

My  father  conjectured  shrewdly  enough 
that  we  would  have  been  sent  elsewhere 
than  to  New  York.  However,  we  soon 
forgot  that,  for  the  whole  party  was  clus- 
tered on  the  poop  watching  the  purple  hills 
behind  us.  The  little  port  faded  ere  long 
into  a  solid  background,  for  the  breeze  was 
a  stiff  one,  and  that  afternoon  we  looked 
our  last  on  Scotland.  This  was  the  occa- 
sion for  another  address  and  prayer  from 
Alec  Gordon,  and  this  time  I  joined  in  right 
willingly.  I  had  never  been  so  far  from 
land  before,  and  the  tossing  of  the  ship 
made  me  no  wee  bit  uneasy. 

Nor  was  this  lessened  during  the  follow- 
ing days.  Five  in  all  I  suffered,  together 
with  all  the  moor-folk,  as  I  never  want  to 


As  we  came  closer  to  the  little  boat  we  saw  that  she  held  only  one  man. 

19 


20 


THE    CONQUEST. 


suffer  more.  Ruth  was  free  from  the  sick- 
ness, as  was  my  father,  but  Maisie  Graham, 
poor  soul,  came  near  dying  with  it.  After 
the  fifth  day,  however,  I  crawled  out  on 
deck  a  new  man,  albeit  weak  in  the  legs, 
and  never  knew  that  the  sun  could  feel  so 
good. 

The  next  day  thereafter  I  was  almost 
myself  again,  and  paid  back  the  jests  of 
Ruth  with  interest.  She  had  great  sport 
of  my  sickness,  although  to  tell  the  truth 
she  tended  me  with  unremitting  care  and 
kindness,  when  my  father  would  have  let 
me  be  to  get  over  it  as  best  I  could. 

To  confess  it  straightway,  I  gained 
greater  respect  for  Alec  Gordon  in  those 
days,  and  in  those  to  come,  than  I  had  ever 
felt  before.  The  sight  of  the  great  ocean 
around  us  and  the  feel  of  the  tossing  deck 
that  alone  kept  us  from  harm,  put  the  fear 
of  God  into  my  heart  in  good  surety,  so 
that  I  entered  into  the  morning  and  evening 
meetings  with  new  earnestness.  Nor  was 
it  only  while  the  danger  lasted  that  I  felt 
thus.  I  had  seen  the  ocean  full  often,  but 
I  had  never  so  much  as  gone  out  with  a 
fishing-boat,  and  those  first  few  days  were 
full  of  grim  earnestness  that  proved  their 
worth  in  the  end. 

It  was  on  the  twelfth  day  out  that  the 
first  untoward  event  happened,  for  one  of 
the  seamen  cried  down  to  us  that  he  had 
sighted  a  small  boat  that  was  all  but  sink- 
ing. Sure  enough,  we  on  deck  could  descry 
a  point  of  white  ahead,  and  all  of  us 
gathered  in  eagerness  as  we  drew  up  to 
her.  Thus  far  we  had  had  good  weather, 
and  by  now  even  Maisie  Graham  was  free 
of  the  sickness. 

As  we  came  closer  to  the  little  boat, 
which  was  no  larger  than  a  sloop,  we  saw 
that  she  held  only  one  man.  Then  a  sense 
of  strangeness  seemed  to  settle  over  us 
when  we  knew  that  this  one  man  was  old, 
his  long  white  hair  and  beard  flying  in  the 
wind,  but  he  stood  erect  and  tall  at  his  til- 
ler. The  strangest  thing  of  all  was  that 


his  cranky  old  craft  was  headed  west,  into 
the  ocean  itself,  instead  of  back  toward  the 
land. 

At  our  hail  he  came  about  readily 
enough,  for  his  boat  seemed  much  battered 
and  was  half  full  of  sea-water.  Handling 
her  with  no  little  skill,  he  laid  us  aboard 
and  sprang  over  the  rail.  As  he  did  so,  I 
heard  some  of  the  seamen  muttering  in 
Gaelic — something  about  one  of  the  sea- 
wizards  ;  but  to  this  I  gave  little  heed  as 
we  all  hastened  to  surround  the  old  man 
and  to  talk  with  him. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE   MAN   FROM  THE  SEA. 

A  FINE-LOOKING  man  he  was,  too, 
despite  his  age.  I  put  him  down  as 
three-score  and  ten,  and  found  later 
that  I  had  not  been  far  wrong.  His  face 
was  hard-set  and  stern,  like  that  of  some 
eagle,  his  nose  finely  curved,  and  his  deep- 
set  eyes — ah,  what  eyes  those  were  !  Never 
since  have  I  seen  eyes  like  his.  They 
seemed  to  be  gazing  far  off.  even  as  they 
looked  into  one's  own;  they  seemed  to  see 
some  great  vision  not  given  to  other  men's 
sight,  as  in  truth  I  believe  they  did. 

His  hair  was  snow-white,  but  very  thick, 
hanging  about  his  shoulders,  and  on  his 
bronzed  neck  was  tattooed  some  strange 
animal  which  I  had  never  before  seen.  So 
we  stood  about  him,  staring,  while  Wat 
Herries  cast  off  the  little  sloop  and  left 
her  to  sink  as  she  would. 

The  stranger  searched  us  with  those 
great  black  eagle-eyes,  but  shook  his  head 
at  Alec  Gordon's  Gaelic,  and  muttered 
something  that  fetched  a  joyful  cry  from 
Ruth,  for  it  was  in  the  French  tongue. 

"You  are  a  Frenchman?"  she  inquired 
quickly,  pushing  to  my  side.  The  stranger 
glanced  at  us,  then  his  great  figure  quiv- 


THE    CONQUEST. 


21 


ered  as  a  tree  shakes  beneath  the  ax.  I 
could  have  sworn  that  a  tinge  of  red 
leaped  into  his  pale  cheeks  and  that  he  was 
gazing  at  the  golden  brooch  which  once 
more  held  Ruth's  cloak,  but  he  replied 
slowly  and  calmly  in  a  musical  voice : 

"  I  speak  French,  mademoiselle,  though 
I  may  not  claim  to  belong  to  that  nation." 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  asked  Ruth,  "  and  what 
are  you  doing  in  that  little  boat?" 

"  As  to  my  name,  that  matters  not,"  he 
replied  with  a  bow  that  could  only  have 
been  learned  in  courts.  "  I  was  sailing  to 
the  west,  and  if  I  might  thank  your  com- 
pany for  saving  me  from  a  leaky  and  all 
but  disabled  craft,  I  would  fain  do  so 
through  you." 

Ruth  put  his  words  into  our  own  tongue, 
somewhat  disconcerted  at  his  courteous 
aloofness,  whereat  Alec  Gordon  rubbed  his 
chin,  and  bade  us  salute  him  courteously. 

"  Tell  the  man  that  he  must  e'en  go  to 
the  colonies  with  us,"  he  said,  knitting 
his  gray  eyebrows.  "  If  he  will  not  tell 
his  name,  we  care  little.  Ask  him  of  his 
religion." 

And  so  Ruth  did.  But  at  the  question 
the  old  man  straightened  up  and  a  flash 
of  fire  leaped  into  his  wondrous  eyes. 

"  Who  are  you  that  dare  to  question 
me?"  he  replied  sternly  and  proudly.  "As 
to  my  religion,  that  is  my  own  affair. 
May  I  ask  your  name,  mistress?" 

"  We  are  of  Scotland,  of  the  Covenant," 
she  returned  simply,  giving  her  name.  He 
frowned  as  if  in  perplexity.  "  Fear  not," 
smiled  the  little  maid,  mistaking  his  atti- 
tude. "  You  are  with  friends,  old  man, 
and  if  you  be  not  a  Papist  your  religion 
matters  not." 

He  laughed  shortly,  staring  down  upon 
her.  "  Xot  I,  maiden.  As  to  fear,  I  am 
more  hungered  than  fearful,  though  I  have 
felt  fear  often  in  my  time." 

As  Ruth  gave  his  words  to  the  others 
and  my  father  led  him  to  the  cabin,  I 
turned  over  this  speech  in  my  mind  and  set 


him  down,  boylike,  as  a  coward.  Therein 
I  made  a  grave  mistake,  as  I  found  out 
ere  long. 

It  was  .  but .  natural  that  the  stranger 
should  make  great  talk  among  us  all,  and 
when-  he  returned  on  deck,  his  tall  figure 
wrapped  in  a  spare  plaid  of  Tam  Graham's, 
we  gazed  at  him  ever  more  eagerly.  But 
he  gave  us  little  heed,;  going-  forward  into 
the  bow  and  sitting  there  upon  a  coil  of 
rope,  gazing  out  into  the  west  as  if  the 
ship  sped  not  fast  enough  for  him.  After 
a  little,  Ruth  and  I,  being  the  only  ones 
aboard  who  could  speak  French,  save  the 
sailors,  came  to  him.  He  did  not. repel  us 
— nay,  there  was  something  about  the  man 
that  drew  us  both,  and  Ruth  more  than  me; 
he  seemed  like  one  who  had  seen  many 
strange  things,' and  the  secret  that  shone 
forth  from  his  deep  eyes  half  frightened 
while  it  attracted  me.  As  for  •  Ruth,  she 
felt  sorry  for  him  in  his  loneliness  and 
wished  to  talk  her  French  also,  for  she 
ever  held  that  my  accent  was  most  vile. 
.  He  gave  us  a  kindlier  welcome  than  I 
had  looked  for,  and  when  he  smiled  all  his 
sternness  vanished  and  I  knew  on  the  in- 
stant that  here  was  a  man  who  had  suf- 
fered and  loved  greatly,  and  who  knew 
how  to  win  love  from  other  men.  There 
was  about  him  something  of  that  same 
quality  which  Ruth  so  greatly  possessed, 
the  quality  of  drawing  out  the  faith  of 
others,  of  quiet  trust  and  confidence.  I  was 
not  to  know  for  many  long  weeks  what  it 
really  meant  to  love  and  be  loved  by  him, 
but,  as  I  perched  on  the  anchor  chains  and 
stared  frankly  at  him,  I  thought  that  it 
must  indeed  be  hard  to  tell  this  man  a  lie. 

"  If  you  would  speak  English,"  he  smiled 
in  the  southland  speech,  "  I  can  converse 
well  in  that." 

"  Nay,"  and  Ruth's  laugh  rippled  out, 
"  French  is  mine  own  mother-tongue,  and 
seldom  do  I  get  a  chance  to  use  it." 

"Are  you  French,  then?  With  your 
name  ?"  he  asked  quickly.  Now,  though  I 


22 


THE    CONQUEST. 


knew  full  well  that  Ruth  had  come  there 
with  no  such  thought,  she  poured  out  the 
tale  of  her  coming  to  us  over  the  moors, 
as  she  had  heard  it  often  from  my  mother 
and  me.  This  surprised  me  all  the  more 
because  as  a  rule  she  made  light  of  it  and 
claimed  Ayrby  for  home,  and  my  people  for 
her  people. 

The  old  stranger  listened  to  all  her 
story,  but  he  remained  silent  and  fell  to 
staring  over  the  bowsprit  again  as  if  he 
had  not  heard.  But  I  who  watched  him 
saw  him  try  to  speak,  as  it  were,  then  stop 
suddenly  and  gulp  in  his  throat. 

"  It  is  a  strange  tale,"  he  replied  after 
a  little,  "  and  I  thank  you  for  the  telling, 
maiden.  Know  you  whither  we  are 
bound  ?" 

"For  the  New  York  colony,"  I  replied, 
somewhat  downcast  that  he  had  not  trusted 
us  in  turn  with  his  own  tale.  He  must 
have  read  the  thought  in  my  eyes,  for  he 
smiled  sadly  and  I  felt  emboldened  to 
question  him.  "  What  is  that  mark  on 
your  throat  ?"  I  continued,  gazing  at  the 
tattooed  animal.  "  Is  that  some  strange 
beast?" 

"  Aye,  strange  enough,"  he  turned  hu- 
man all  at  once  and  laughed  in  my  face 
like  a  boy.  "  It  is  a  beaver,  an  animal  of 
the  New  World  and  of  the  old,  yet  stranger 
never  lived.  You  will  see  many  a  beaver- 
skin — aye,  and  seil  them,  too,  perchance  !" 

"  Then  you  have  been  in  the  New 
World !"  cried  out  Ruth,  settling  down 
snugly  at  his  side.  "  Tell  us  all  about  it, 
sir!" 

"  The  tale  would  outlast  the  voyage,"  he 
said,  looking  down  at  her  face.  A  sudden 
mad  thought  came  into  my  mind,  and  be- 
fore I  thought  to  stay  it,  sprang  to  my 
lips. 

"  In  the  New  World,"  I  asked  eagerly, 
"  did  you  ever  know  a  man  who  was  called 
The  Pike?" 

The  answer  to  that  question  was  won- 
derful enough.  With  one  quick  motion  he 


leaned  forward  and  gripped  my  shoulder 
in  a  hand  of  iron;  and  when  his  eyes  bored 
into  mine  own  I  all  but  cried  out,  so  like 
pure  flame  was  the  look  therein. 

"What  know  you  of  him?"  he  asked 
bitingly,  and  his  tone  minded  me  of  my 
father's  when  he  had  flung  the  Commis- 
sioner's man  over  the  rail.  In  that  instant 
I  feared  this  old  stranger  as  never  in  my 
life  had  I  feared  anyone,  no,  not  even  my 
father;  and  so  I  gave  him  all  I  knew  of 
Gib  o'  Clarclach,  without  let  or  hindrance. 
While  I  spoke,  his  grip  loosened,  but  his 
shaggy  brows  came  down  until  they  met. 

"  Lad,"  he  said  when  I  had  made  an 
end,  "  keep  this  maid  from  that  man  as  if 
he  were  the  plague  itself !  Let  him  not 
touch  her,  should  you  ever  meet  again,  and 
if  he  so  much  as  looks  at  her  put  your 
knife  into  him  as  into  a  dog  gone  mad  !" 

"  Why,  the  fellow  is  aboard  now,"  I 
answered  in  wonder,  and  in  no  little  fear. 
But  to  my  surprise  the  old  man  only  turned 
and  gazed  out  into  the  sunset  once  more, 
checking  Ruth  when  she  would  have 
spoken. 

"  My  children,"  he  said  very  softly, 
"  while  I  am  here  you  are  safe  from  this 
man,  remember  that.  Nay,  I  would  not 
harm  him.  I  am  an  old  man,  but  I  have 
been  where  no  other  white  man  has  been ; 
I  have  been  a  ruler  among  men  whose  skins 
are  not  as  ours,  and  I  go  even  now  to  end 
my  days  among  these  people.  He,  also,  has 
been  among  them,  and  I  know  not  what 
evil  he  is  about  here;  but  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  hand  of  God  has  drawn  me  to  you 
and  to  this  ship,  lest  you  come  to  harm. 
Now  leave  me,  my  children,  and  count  me 
ever  as  a  friend  of  the  best." 

Hand  in  hand,  like  two  frighted 
bairns,  we  left  him  and  went  aft  in  awe. 
When  we  were  alone  in  the  cabin,  all 
the  other  folk  being  above,  Ruth  looked 
strangely  at  me  and  caught  my  hand. 

"  Davie,  is  he  not  a  wonderful  man?  Do 
you  like  him?" 


THE    CONQUEST. 


23 


"  I  fear  him,"  I  replied  honestly.  "  But 
I  think  I  could  even  love  him,  an'  I  had 
the  chance.  He  is  some  great  man,  Ruth, 
that  I  know !" 

"  I  like  him,  too,  and  I  am  not  a  bit 
feared  of  him,"  she  said  earnestly.  "  Say 
naught  to  anyone  of  what  he  said,  Davie, 
for  I  think  he  would  trust  us  more  than 
others." 

Whereto  I  agreed  willingly  enough,  re- 
membering that  shoulder-grip  which  still 
burned  me.  But  that  did  not  save  me  from 
much  speculating  to  myself.  First,  why 
had  the  old  man  been  sailing  westward  in 
a  small  and  battered  sloop,  scarce  fit  for 
coast  fishing?  Second,  what  did  he  know 
of  Gib  o'  Clarclach?  And  last  and  great- 
est—  who  was  he?  These  questions  drove 
through  my  mind  as  I  went  back  to  the 
deck,  but  it  was  long  ere  any  of  them 
were  answered.  All  that  evening  I  looked 
about  for  the  face  of  Gib  the  sailor,  but 
saw  it  not. 

Oddly  enough,  that  same  night  a  terrific 
gale  from  the  south  came  on  us.  Odd,  be- 
cause until  then  the  weather  had  been  per- 
fect, and  also  because  of  what  followed.  It 
was  such  a  gale  as  I  had  never  known  be- 
fore, keeping  up  day  after  day  and  driving 
us  ever  west  and  north,  for  the  poor  little 
"  Lass  "  could  only  run  with  a  single  shred 
of  sail  to  keep  her  right  end  forward. 

That  was  a  hard  time  for  all  of  us. 
Morn  and  eve  we  held  assembly  in  the 
larger  of  the  cabins,  where  we  men  slept, 
and  Alec  Gordon  led  us  in  prayer.  At 
each  of  these  meetings  the  old  stranger 
attended,  although  he  took  no  part  himself, 
which  my  father  liked  but  ill.  During 
those  days  we  younger  men  helped  the 
crew  pull  and  haul,  but  the  others  were 
cooped  up  in  the  cabin — and  a  dreary  place 
it  was.  Alec  and  the  rest  kept  up  an  ever- 
lasting argument  on  Effectual  Calling  and 
Reason  Annexed,  together  with  other  such 
topics  as  the  articles  of  faith  afforded,  and 
I  was  glad  enough  to  be  sharing  with  the 


crew  instead  of  listening  to  such  talk  be- 
low, for  I  was  ever  fonder  of  action  than 
discussion. 

I  had  nearly  forgot  the  other  part  of  our 
crew  and  cargo — Grim,  who  kept  company 
with  half  a  dozen  more  sheep  dogs,  and  the 
poor  beasts  stowed  away  in  hasty-built 
pens  below.  The  day  the  old  stranger  came 
aboard,  three  of  the  sheep  died,  and  what 
with  broken  legs  from  the  rolling  of  the 
"  Lass,"  and  from  sickness,  the  rest  fol- 
lowed speedily.  Wherein  Wat  Herries  was 
proved  to  know  his  business  better  than 
my  father.  As  for  Grim,  he  kept  close 
below  after  the  storm  began,  and  remained 
there  in  safety,  keeping  near  to  my  father's 
heels  as  usual. 

For  a  week  that  storm  blew  down  on 
us,  and  there  was  rest  or  comfort  for  none 
aboard.  On  the  seventh  day  we  had  clear 
weather  once  more  and  returned  to  our 
course,  from  which  we  had  been  sadly 
driven.  Two  days  after  this  befell  a  sore 
accident,  for  Master  Herries  was  knocked 
down  by  a  lower  yard  breaking  from  its 
cordage,  and  when  we  picked  him  up  his 
right  leg  was  found  broken  below  the  knee. 

We  carried  him  to  his  cabin  and  there 
my  father,  who  had  no  little  leechcraft, 
tended  him.  This  placed  the  ship  in  the 
hands  of  an  Ireland  man  called  Black 
Michael,  who  was  good  enough  in  his  way, 
but  a  poor  mate,  for  as  events  proved  he 
had  little  hold  on  the  men  forward. 

As  if  this  were  not  enough,  the  storm 
came  back  upon  us  the  next  day  and  again 
the  poor  "  Lass "  fled  helpless  before  it. 
It  was  now  that  first  I  noted  a  peculiar 
manner  among  the  men,  who  like  all  our 
west  coast  seamen  were  highly  supersti- 
tious. I  thought  little  of  it,  nor  dreamt 
how  it  tended,  until  one  night  when  I  crept 
forward  to  steal  a  pannikin  of  water  from 
the  butt  for  Grim.  On  my  way  back  I 
heard  two  seamen  talking  in  Gaelic,  behind 
a  corner  of  the  cabins,  and  the  wind  car- 
ried me  their  words. 


24 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  Duar  Ha  Criosd !"  muttered  one,  an 
Irisher  like  the  mate.  "  There  is  no  doubt 
of  it,  Eoghan  !  I  have  seen  it  before,  and 
I  tell  you  that  .unless  Ruadh  has  green  stuff 
in  plenty,  he  will  die !  It  is  the  scurvy,  and 
we  have  naught  aboard  to  fight  it  with." 

"  Scurvy  an'  you  like."  replied  the  other 
sullenly.  "  but  I  say  it  is  the  old  wizard 
whom  we  took  aboard.  Do  you  mind  the 
tale  of  Jonah  in  the  Scriptures?  Do  you 
mind  how  the  sheep  began  to  die  when  he 
came,  and  how  he  brought  the  gale  with 
him  ?" 

There  was  a  little  silence,  and  I  felt  my 
heart  sound  against  my  ribs  as  I  began 
to  comprehend  their  words. 

"  Like  enough."  answered  the  first  with 
an  oath.  "  But  the  scurvy  is  upon  us,  and 
we  be  all  dead  men,  Eoghan,  unless  we 
fetch  land  right  soon.  Nor  is  the  manner  of 
that  rotting  death  pleasant,  and  with  this 
he  described  the  workings  of  scurvy  until 
my  flesh  creeped. 

"  Then  let  us  have  this  Jonah  overboard," 
cried  out  the  other  man  on  a  sudden,  and 
despair  was  in  his  voice.  "  Gib  o'  Clarclach 
is  with  us,  and  the  rest.  Black  Michael 
matters  not ;  put  this  wizard  overside  and 
we  will  have  fair  weather  again.  Who 
ever  heard  tell  of  such  gales  at  this 
season?" 

Which  same  was  true  enough,  and  I 
even  wondered  a  trifle  if  the  man  might 
not  be  right. 

"  Stay,"  returned  the  first.  "  I  have 
a  better  plan.  The  old  wizard  sleeps  in 
the  cabin  aft,  with  the  captain.  I  will 
slip  in  there  this  very  night,  when  the 
watch  is  changed,  and  have  my  knife  in 
him  and  out  again.  Let  the  elder  lay  it  to 
the  Lord's  vengeance  an'  he  will,  being 
overfond  of  such  talk." 

At  this  the  other  man  laughed  shortly, 
but  I  crept  very  silently  across  the  heaving 
deck  to  the  cabin,  and  there  was  great 
fear  in  my  heart  for  all  of  us. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HOW   THE   "  LASS  "    WAS    DRIFTED. 

ON  hands  and  knees,  the  deck  beneath 
me  groaning  and  pitching  to  the 
tossing  of  the  great  waves,  and  the 
howling  wind  still  seeming  to  thrill  those 
muttered  words  to  me,  I  crawled  on  and 
with  some  difficulty,  brought  the  water  to 
Grim,  who  thanked  me  in  his  own  way. 
Then  I  rose  and  looked  about. 

Around  the  table  were  lashed  my  father, 
Alec  Gordon,  and  Robin  Grier,  all  arguing 
at  the  top  of  their  tongues.  In  the  bunks 
lay  the  others,  or  on  heaps  of  padded  can- 
vas along  the  floor.  Then  I  understood 
that  the  old  stranger  had  gone  to  Master 
Herries'  cabin,  where  the  mate  sometimes 
lay  also,  and  was  caring  for  the  injured 
man.  Besides  Grim  there  were  five  other 
dogs  lying  around,  but  the  womenfolk 
Were  all  safe  asleep  in  their  own  place. 

I  misliked  saying  anything  to  my  father 
and  old  Alec,  for  fear  they  would  dis- 
believe me.  Had  Ruth  been  there  I  would 
have  sought  counsel  from  her,  and  have 
gained  it,  too ;  but  a  notion  came  to  me 
that  the  work  might  be  done  without  a 
quarrel.  Had  I  told  my  father  the  tale, 
he  might  have  sought  out  the  two  men  and 
cracked  their  heads  together,  likely  get- 
ting a  knife  in  him  for  it.  So,  without 
disturbing  any  of  the  three  at  the  table, 
I  caught  hold  on  Grim  and  drew  him  out 
of  the  cabin. 

The  master's,  cabin,  where  were  the  old 
man  and  Wat,  was  but  a  miserable  hole 
to  one  side  of  our  main  room,  and  had 
indeed  been  intended  for  some  other  use. 
It  would  be  easy  enough  for  a  man  to  slip 
in  and  out  again,  I  considered  as  I  crossed 
the  few  feet  of  open  deck  to  get  to  it,  Grim 
holding  back  stiff-legged,  in  wild  fear  with 
each  toss  of  the  lugger.  Then  I  cast  open 
the  door  of  the  little  place  and  went  in, 
flinging  Grim  before  me. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


A  roll  of  the  ship  assisted  me  in  this, 
so  that  Grim  and  I  went  in  together  and 
fetched  up  against  the  old  stranger,  clean 
taking  him  off  his  legs.  A  ship's  lanthorn 
swung  above,  and  by  its  light  the  old  man 
made  out  who  we  were,  as  we  all  rolled  in 
the  corner  in  a  heap.  For  that  matter, 
he  had  long  since  proved  a  better  sailor 
than  any  of  us  on  board,  and  now  he  was 
.on  his  feet  instantly,  and  soon  had  me  up. 

There  was  little  room  for  others  when 
the  door  was  shut,  and  I  saw  that  the  old 
man  had  been  lying  in  the  mate's  bunk 
when  we  came.  Above  this  lay  Master 
,  Herries,  asleep  in  his  own  bunk  despite 
all  the  uproar.  Now,  it  had  been  in  my 
mind  to  set  Grim  awatch,  but  when  the 
old  man  smiled  on  me  and  asked  my 
errand,  I  had  blurted  out  the  whole  be- 
fore I  thought.  At  the  story  he  threw 
back  his  head  and  laughed  heartily,  seem- 
ing to  take  it  as  a  huge  joke. 

"  Nay,  lad,  be  not  put  out,"  he  cried 
kindly,  seeing  that  his  laughter  made  me 
angry,  and  therewith  clapped  me  on  the 
shoulder.  "  I  laughed  not  at  you,  but  at 
them.  Why,  it  is  a  rare  jest  indeed,  their 
taking  me  for  a  wizard  and  thinking  me 
overside — belike  it  is  the  work  of  our 
friend,  Gib,  too.  Bide  you  here,  David, 
and  methinks  we  will  carry  out  that  jest 
somewhat." 

Pushing  me  and  Grim  into  the  corner, 
.he  reached  up  and  blew  out  the  lanthorn, 
then  caught  my  hand  in  his  and  reached 
for  Grim's  head  as  we  all  settled  down 
together.  I  had  begun  to  feel  fear  of  him, 
but  when  Grim  suffered  his  petting  I  took 
heart  and  cast  it  off.  Grim  was  a  good 
judge  of  men,  and  allowed  few  to  handle 
him  as  did  this  old  stranger. 

"  This  is  not  unlike  a  night  I  once  spent 
in  the  Canadas,"  broke  out  the  rich,  musi- 
cal voice  of  the  old  man.  "  It  was  deep 
winter,  and  I  lay  in  a  little  cave  with  two 
of  my  red  brothers,  after  escaping  from  a 
great  town  of  the  Ottawa  nation.  For 


you  must  know,  lad,  there  are  many  races 
of  these  red  men,  each  at  war  with  the 
other." 

"  I  know  little  about  it,  sir,"  I  answered. 

Methought  he  gave  a  little  impatient  sigh 
at  that.  "  Lord,  will  these  thick-headed 
English  never  learn  where  lies  their  great- 
est rulership?  But  no  matter.  My  own 
people,  among  whom  I  was  a  chief,  were 
named  Mohawks,  and  we  had  been  cap- 
tured by  the  Ottawas  after  a  great  raid 
out  to  the  westward.  All  of  us  were  sore 
wounded  and  far  from  home,  having  no 
meat  save  two  rabbits  we  caught,  all  dur- 
ing the  two  weeks  we  lay  there. 

"  Well,  on  this  night  of  which  I  speak 
we  were  all  but  frozen,  and  at  length  made 
shift  to  build  a  small  fire.  All  around  us 
were  our  enemies,  and  we  had  seen  a  dozen 
braves  searching  that  same  day.  It  was 
something  like  midnight  when  I,  who  was 
on  watch,  saw  a  tall  deer  pass — " 

And  more  of  that  story  I  never  heard, 
because  just  at  that  instant  the  door  of 
the  cabin  opened  very  softly,  and  I  almost 
thought  it  had  been  done  by  a  lurch  of 
the  ship  but  for  feeling  Grim  bristle.  Then 
my  hair  stood  on  end  with  pure  horror, 
for  in  the  cabin  above  the  timber-groan  and 
howl  of  the  wind,  there  came  three  shrill, 
clear  hoots  of  an  owl. 

A  dark  shape  which  had  filled  the  door- 
way suddenly  paused.  Grim  began  a  growl, 
but  I  checked  him  at  hearing  a  chuckle 
from  the  old  man,  and  berated  myself  for  a 
fool.  It  was  his  work,  of  course.  But 
there  in  the  dark  it  sounded  eerie  enough, 
and  when  two  raven-calls  echoed  out  I 
scarce  repressed  a  cry.  A  ragged  streak 
of  lightning  outside  showed  us  the  figure 
of  a  man  in  the  doorway,  others  behind  him, 
and  the  gleam  of  bare  steel;  then  as  the 
light  passed  I  sprang  up,  for  in  my  ears 
had  shrilled  up  the  long  sobbing  howl  of 
a  wolf — a  sound  to  wake  the  dead ! 

Wake  me  it  did,  and  Grim  too,  for  he 
answered  it  with  another  and  leaped 


26 


THE    CONQUEST. 


away  from  me.  We  heard  a  startled  yell 
from  the  men,  and  then  the  old  stranger 
slammed  the  door  before  Grim  could  escape. 

"  Easy,  old  boy,  easy !  Wait  a  bit  till  we 
get  a  light." 

With  a  dexterous  flint  and  steel  he  soon 
had  the  lanthorn  going,  to  my  no  small 
satisfaction.  Wat  Herries  was  still  sleep- 
ing, which  I  wondered  at.  I  was  still 
blinking  when  the  old  man  pulled  me  up 
and  took  my  hands  in  his. 

"  Davie,  lad,"  he  said  softly,  "  you  did 
a  good  deed  this  night.  Xow  begone,  and 
fear  not  for  me.  Those  devils  yonder 
will  come  near  me  no  more  save  in  the 
light  of  day." 

"  But — but —  I  stammered  fearfully, 
"  was  it  witchcraft  or — 

"Witchcraft?  Forest  craft,  more  like," 
he  laughed,  his  white  beard  shaking  at  me. 
'  'Tis  a  gift  the  Lord  and  the  Mohawks 
gave  me,  but  we  will  e'en  give  the  Lord 
credit,  Davie.  So  get  you  gone  to  sleep 
and  breathe  no  word  of  this." 

Much  reassured  at  finding  he  had  no 
dealings  with  the  black  art,  though  I 
deemed  his  speech  not  far  from  blasphemy, 
I  caught  hold  on  Grim  and  we  both  re- 
turned to  the  main  cabin,  where  all  was 
as  we  had  left  it  and  Alec  Gordon  still 
arguing  stoutly.  I  flung  down  on  a  pile 
of  canvas  and  went  to  sleep  with  Grim  still 
in  my  arms,  but  that  wolf-howl  echoed 
through  and  through  my  dreams  that  night 
and  I  woke  with  it  still  in  my  ears.  In- 
deed, it  then  seemed  scarce  a  thing  of  this 
world,  though  I  have  since  heard  it  often 
enough. 

When  I  went  on  deck  next  morning  we 
were  in  worse  plight  than  ever,  for  it  was 
biting  cold  and  there  were  masses  of  ice 
around  us,  floating  in  the  sea.  I  learned 
that  we  had  been  driven  far  north,  where 
the  seas  are  full  of  ice  even  in  June,  but 
it  seemed  a  mighty  strange  thing  to  me. 
There  was  some  fog  also,  and  every  now 
and  then  the  "  Lass "  would  heave  her 


bows  into  an  ice-cake  with  a  shivering 
crash  that  boded  ill  for  her  timbers. 

That  day  two  of  the  womenfolk,  both 
Gordons,  complained  of  a  new  sickness, 
and  Robin  Grier  said  his  teeth  were  loose 
in  his  head.  My  father  and  old  Alec  were 
puzzled  enough,  but  when  the  stranger 
heard  of  it  he  ordered  that  the  sick  ones 
be  given  naught  save  green  stuff  to  eat. 
That  minded  me  of  the  talk  I  had  over- 
heard, but  a  warning  glance  from  the  old 
man  checked  the  words  on  my  lips.  It 
was  then  we  learned  that  many  of  the  crew 
were  sick  likewise,  of  that  plague  called 
scurvy,  which  comes  from  eating  no  fresh 
green  things.  We  were  in  sorry  plight, 
for  save  a  few  potatoes  our  green  stuff 
had  all  vanished  long  since. 

That  day  there  was  no  wind  to  speak 
of,  and  I  drew  Ruth  up  into  the  bows 
again,  where  we  sat  gloomily  enough  with 
plaids  wrapped  around  to  keep  out  the 
damp  fog.  I  had  seen  Gib  o'  Clarclach 
once  or  twice,  but  he  kept  well  out  of  my 
way  and  out  of  sight  as  much  as  might 
be.  I  told  Ruth  all  that  had  taken  place 
the  night  before,  but  at  my  fears  of  witch- 
craft and  wizardry  she  laughed  outright. 

"  Yet  the  old  man  said  himself  that  he 
had  been  a  chief  among  the  red  heathen 
of  the  Colonies,"  I  argued,  "  while  his 
speech  was  all  but  blasphemous." 

Whereat  she  only  laughed  the  more,  and 
I  grew  sulky  until  she  pointed  to  a  little 
bunch  of  the  crew  in  the  shelter  of  the 
rail  below  us,  in  the  waist. 

"  I  am  more  feared  of  them  than  of 
any  wizard,  Davie,"  she  said.  "  This  ter- 
rible sickness  is  come  upon  us  all,  and  we 
cannot  fight  against  it.  And  see  where 
we  are  come — up  into  the  sea  of  floating 
ice  !  With  Master  Herries  laid  up  in  his 
bunk,  and  the  men  agog  with  superstition, 
we  are  like  to  have  an  ill  time  ere  we 
reach  the  plantations." 

"  Just  the  same,"  I  repeated  stubbornly, 
"  I  cannot  see  how  any  one  can  be  a  chief 


THE    CONQUEST. 


27 


among  the  heathen  cannibals  and  still  re- 
main a  God-fearing  man.  And  why  will 
he  not  tell  his  name,  and  whence  he 
comes?" 

This  silenced  Ruth  for  the  time,  and 
though  she  laughed  again  I  could  see  that 
she  was  perplexed  also.  But  with  the  con- 
trariness of  women  she  declared  that  the 
talk  wearied  her,  and  so  changed  the  topic 
abruptly. 

We  lay  idle  for  three  days,  with  nothing 
save  ice  and  fog  around  us.  Then  came 
another  gale,  this  time  from  the  east,  and 
we  began  the  weary  fight  once  more. 
Strangely  enough,  my  father  and  rugged 
old  Lag  Hamilton,  with  Alec  Gordon  him- 
self, were  now  feeling  the  scurvy;  and  we 
were  all  of  us  frightened  by  it,  and  by 
our  own  helplessness.  One  of  the  dogs 
had  been  lost  overboard,  having  ventured 
out  on  the  deck  in  the  storm,  so  thereafter 
I  kept  Grim  safe  inside  the  cabin. 

Of  the  old  stranger  we  saw  little  during 
those  days.  He  was  busy  tending  Wat 
Herries,  which  he  did  with  the  skill  and 
tenderness  of  a  woman,  and  we  were  all 
taken  up  with  our  own  sick.  Whenever  I 
went  on  deck  I  saw  that  the  crew  obeyed 
Black  Michael  with  a  sullen,  surly  man- 
ner that  boded  ill.  Many  of  them  were 
sick  also,  and  among  these  went  Ruth 
with  such  small  comforts  as  we  had,  till 
not  a  soul  on  board  but  loved  her — save 
possibly  one. 

On  the  third  day  of  that  gale  matters 
came  to  a  head.  I  do  not  think  any  of 
us,  save  Ruth  and  I  and  the  stranger,  sus- 
pected that  the  crew  had  aught  in  mind; 
but  had  not  my  father  been  down  with  the 
plague  I  would  then  have  told  him  all. 
The  suspense  was  hard  on  me,  almost  too 
hard  to  bear.  Day  and  night  we  had  to 
keep  watch,  twice  narrowly  missing  great 
mountains  of  ice,  and  on  the  third  day  we 
struck  a  water-lashed  cake  with  such  force 
that  the  "  Lass  "  sprung  a  great  leak. 

When  this  was  discovered  the  crew  well- 


nigh  went  mad  with  fear.  I  was  in  the 
cabin  when  the  crash  came,  and  ran  to 
the  door  with  the  others.  When  Black 
Michael  ordered  the  men  to  the  pumps, 
they  rebelled  flatly,  and  before  he  could 
so  much  as  move  he  was  trussed  up  like  a 
fowl  in  one  of  his  own  tarred  ropes.  Then 
knives  flashed  out  in  the  light  and  the  men 
came  surging  aft.  I  cried  out  to  Robin 
Grier  and  with  our  fathers'  claymores, 
which  we  fetched  from  the  cabin  on  the 
run,  we  stationed  ourselves  over  the  ladder 
at  the  break  of  the  poop,  and  called  on 
the  men  to  halt.  Tarn  Graham  and  those 
of  the  others  who  were  not  down  with  the 
sickness  came  out  behind  us. 

With  a  sudden  loathing  I  recognized  the 
leader  of  the  crew  for  Gib  o'  Clarclach. 
He  stood  looking  up  with  his  evil  grin,  but 
kept  well  out  of  reach  of  my  weapon. 

"  Let  us  by,  MacDonald,"  he  spoke  out. 
"  We  are  acting  for  the  good  of  all,  and 
bring  no  harm  to  you  and  yours." 

"  That  is  a  lie,"  I  cried  hotly.  "  I  know 
well  what  you  want,  and  you  shall  not  pass 
by  this  ladder,  you  rebels !  As"  for  you,  I 
have  met  you  before  now,  Gib  o'  Clarclach, 
and  know  more  of  you  than  I  did  then. 
You  got  little  good  out  of  your  visit  the 
other  night,  and  you  will  get  little  good 
now.  Best  stow  away  your  knives  and  go 
about  your  work." 

The  only  answer  I  got  was  a  howl  of 
rage  from  the  men. 

"  The  old  wizard  is  Jonah  !"  yelled  out 
the  fellow  called  Eoghan,  with  a  flourish 
of  his  long  knife.  "  Put  him  into  the  sea 
again  and  let  him  go  his  way.  He  has 
bewitched  us  all,  and  we  be  dead  men  un- 
less we  rid  the  ship  of  him  !" 

This  talk  staggered  Robin,  who  wavered 
and  glanced  at  me,  irresolute.  Tarn  Gra- 
ham muttered  something  behind  me,  and  the 
men  below  yelled  again  and  came  at  the 
ladder,  seeing  their  advantage.  But  I  would 
not  give  back,  nor  did  I  want  to  hurt  any 
of  them,  so  I  brought  down  the  flat  of 


28 


THE    CONQUEST. 


my  father's  claymore  on  Gib's  crown,  and 
tumbled  him  to  the  deck,  whereat  all 
drew  back  with  a  snarl. 

As  for  Gib,  he  leaped  to  his  feet  and 
drew  back  his  hand  quickly.  There  came 
a  flash  of  something,  and  Robin  dashed 
me  aside  just  in  time  to  let  a  long  knife 
fly  under  my  arm.  The  scoundrel  yelled 
something  at  me  in  a  strange  tongue,  but 
before  I  regained  my  balance  a  sudden 
silence  fell  upon  them  all.  and  they  stared 
past  us.  Turning.  I  heard  a  whispered 
prayer  from  Robin,  and  saw  the  old  man. 

He  was  standing  just  behind,  a  brass- 
bound  pistol  in  each  hand,  his  knees  giv- 
ing to  the  sway  of  the  deck  as  the  "  Lass  " 
pitched.  Then  a  howl  went  up  from  the 
crowd  below. 

"  \Yizard  !"  they  yelled,  some  in  English 
and  some  in  the  Gaelic.  "  Get  you  gone 
and  take  your  spells  from  us  !"  And  they 
surged  forward.  But  the  old  man  raised 
his  pistols,  his  white  hair  flying,  and  a 
fierce  flame  raging  in  his  eyes.  I  think 
those  eagle-eyes  halted  them  more  than 
the  pistols,  for  they  were  in  a  mood  to 
care  little  for  two  bullets. 

"  Fools !"  he  cried  in  English,  and  yet 
again.  "  Fools  !  Would  you  destroy  your 
only  hope?  You  dogs,  I  am  Pierre 
Radisson !" 


CHAPTER  VI. 


"R 


RADISSON     THE    GREAT. 

ADISSOX  !  Pierre  Radisson  !" 

At  the  muttered  word  and  the 
blank  look  on  the  faces  below  I 
could  have  laughed,  but  I  make  no  doubt 
that  my  own  face  looked  as  blank  as  theirs. 
Not  a  soul  on  board  but  knew  that  name, 
and  in  a  flash  it  all  came  over  me,  till  I 
flushed  with  shame  at  my  own  suspicions. 
Out  of  the  world  as  we  had  been  at 
Ayrby,  even  I  had  heard  this  man's  story. 


It  was  said  that  he  was  a  French- 
Canadian  by  birth,  and  was  the  greatest 
adventurer  of  our  own  times.  He  had. 
found  a  great  river  to  the  west .  of  the 
Colonies,  the  same  which  Marquette  and 
La  Salle  explored,  and  later  on  had  opened 
up  the  Canadas  to  trade.  He  it  was  who 
had  founded  the  Company  of  Gentlemen 
Adventurers  into  Hudson's  Bay,  the  fame 
of  which  was  great,  and  by  the  exploits 
of  his  arms  had  kept  them  there  against 
the  French. 

But  Radisson  had  found  that  the  faith 
of  princes  is  a  weak  rod  to  lean  upon. 
First,  the  French  had  betrayed  and  robbed 
him,  which  had  sent  him  over  to  England. 
Then,  after  the  founding  of  the  Great 
Company,  the  very  men  to  whom  he  had 
brought  fortunes  had  left  him  to  starve, 
denying  him  all  share  in  the  huge  profits 
they  made  in  furs  from  the  Canadas.  My 
father  had  often  dwelt  on  this  story  as 
an  example  of  the  faith  of  kings.  Time 
and  again  Radisson  had  swept  the  Bay  of 
French  or  English,  but  the  ending  of  it  all 
was  that  he  was  thrown  upon  the  streets 
of  London  town.  How  Pierre  Radisson 
came  to  be  on  board  the  "  Lass,"  how  he 
had  come  into  that  little,  leaky  sloop,  I 
knew  not;  but  as  I  gazed  on  the  stern 
face  of  him  I  felt  a  sudden  great  thrill  of 
hope  and  eagerness. 

The  rebels  felt  more  than  that,  for  they 
were  mightily  afraid  of  this  man,  who 
had  single-handed  done  such  deeds  in  the 
Canadas  that  all  men  had  heard  of  him. 
I  caught  a  quick  oath  from  below,  saw 
Gib  o'  Clarclach  break  away  and  vanish 
forward,  and  so  finished  the  mutiny.-  With 
a  little  laugh  Radisson  put  away  his 
pistols. 

"  I  will  take  charge  of  this  ship,"-  his 
voice  thrilled  along  the  deck.  "  Have  no 
more  of  this  foolery.  Unloose  the  mate 
yonder  and  go  to  your  places.  By  the 
help  of  God  we  will  come  safe  to  shore 
yet." 


THE    CONQUEST. 


29 


\rery  silently  and  in  great  awe  the  men 
unbound  Black  Michael,  and  in  no  long 
time  the  ship  was  as  it  had  been.  Robin 
and  Tarn  Graham  and  I  stood  wondering 
at  the  break  of  the  poop.  Radisson  turned 
to  us  with  a  courtly  bow. 

"  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you  for  your  sup- 
port. The  crew  is  like  to  be  short-handed 
ere  we  reach  any  port,  and  if  need  be  I 
will  call  upon  you  for  help,"  said  he. 

Robin  stared,  his  mouth  agape,  and  old 
Tarn  withdrew  to  tell  the  news  in  the 
cabins,  whither  we  followed  him  presently. 
I  looked  about  for  Ruth,  and  found  her  giv- 
ing some  broth  to  my  father  and  Alec. 
When  this  was  done  I  took  her  out  on  deck 
willy-nilly,  for  she  needed  a  breath  of  air 
and  we  cared  little  for  the  storm  that  still 
raged. 

Since  men  were  in  the  bows  watching 
for  ice  ahead,  we  sat  us  down  in  the  shelter 
of  the  cabin,  and  presently  Radisson  came 
thither  and  joined  us. 

"  So  now  the  mask  is  off,"  he  said, 
speaking  in  French,  and  smiling.  "  I  had 
not  thought  to  tell  my  name,  but  it  must 
needs  out.  We  are  in  a  bad  strait,  my 
friends." 

"  Why  ?"  questioned  Ruth.  "  And  why 
not  tell  your  name  in  the  beginning? 
Surely  you  had  no  hard  thoughts  of  us?" 

Radisson  looked  sadly  into  her  eyes,  and 
smiled  again.  "  My  child,  I  have  fled  from 
England  to  die  in  mine  own  country.  They 
would  not  let  me  go,  they  would  not  let 
me  work  for  them  nor  serve  them,  and 
France  has  cast  me  out.  Yet  the  English 
feared  that  I  would  serve  France  again, 
and  so  when  I  had  provided  for  my  wife 
and  children  I  fled  in  secret  to  the  coast 
and  embarked  in  that  little  sloop  wherein 
you  found  me. 

"  I  had  no  hard  thoughts,  lass,  but  I  am 
suspicious  of  all  men.  The  wilderness  is 
my  only  home,  and  it  is  to  the  wilderness 
that  I  go.  If  I  come  to  the  Colonies,  or  to 
New  France,"  I  shall"  be  laid  by  the  heels. 


They  seem  to  fear  that  my  very  presence 
would  work  them  ill."  He  lifted  his  face 
and  looked  to  forget  us  as  he  gazed  abroad 
into  the  storm.  "  Is  there  some  curse 
upon  me,  Lord  God,  that  men  fear  me  so? 
Ah,  to  be  once  more  on  the  open  prairies 
where  the  air  is  free  of  plots,  with  red- 
skinned  friends  behind  me  and  the  un- 
known world  ahead !" 

Those  words  sank  deeply  into  my  mind, 
and  there  was  to  come  a  time  when  I  would 
remember  them  again ;  but  Ruth  leaned 
forward  and  took  his  hand  gently.  A  right 
strong  hand  it  was,  for  all  its  age  un- 
wrinkled  and  firm  as  mine  own. 

"  Xay,  speak  not  so  bitterly,"  she  re- 
proved him  softly.  "  There  is  no  curse 
upon  any  man,  dear  sir!  Come, -you  shall 
go  with  us  and  join  our  settlement,  and 
when  all  is  safely  bestead  you  shall  go  and 
come  as  you  please,  with  none,  to  hinder !" 

"  So  ?"  Radisson  gazed  down  at  her  un- 
smiling, and  I  felt  on  a  sudden  that  there 
might  indeed  be  fear  in  his  soul,  but  in 
no  wise  a  selfish  fear.  "And  whither  is 
this  ship  sailing?" 

"  What — "  Ruth  stared  up  at  him,  her 
wonder  slowly  changing  to  something  more. 
"  You  think — we  are  in  danger  ?" 

"  Grave  danger,"  he  nodded  confirming'ly. 
"  None  know  it  save  Wat  Herries  your 
master,  and  I,  but  we  have  been  driven  far 
from  our  course  to  the  Colonies.  Until  I 
can  get  sight  of  the  sun  I  know  not  whither 
we  have  drifted,  but  we  are  likelier  to  be 
near  Greenland  than  the  Americas." 

This  told  us  nothing,  for  we  knew  not 
that  there  was  such  a  place  as  Greenland. 
There  was  no  more  trouble  with  the  crew, 
who  were  all  eager  enough  to  do  Master 
Radisson's  bidding.  But  the  scurvy  was 
now  upon  us  sore,  all  having  it  save  Ruth 
and  me  and  one  or  two  others  and  Radisson 
himself.  Two  days  later  the  storm  ceased 
as  suddenly  as  it  had  begun,  and  that  noon 
Radisson  and  Black  Michael  busied  them- 
selves with  poor  Wat's  instruments,  until 


30 


THE    CONQUEST. 


after  an  hour  Radisson  came  below  and 
asked  to  see  Alec  Gordon. 

"  Sir,"  he  said  quietly,  while  I  held  up 
old  Alec's  stricken  head,  "  you  must  know 
that  we  are  far  off  our  course,  and  in  dire 
need  of  green  food,  even  if  it  be  but  grass. 
Xow  I  know  these  waters  well,  and  if  we 
turn  to  our  right  course  we  will  all  be  dead 
ere  we  reach  the  Colonies.  But,  an'  it 
please  you.  I  can  guide  this  ship  into  Hud- 
son's Bay  and  so  to  one  of  the  posts  estab- 
lished by  the  Adventurers.  There  we  can 
remain  till  Master  Herries  be  recovered 
and  the  sickness  gone,  when  it  will  be  no 
great  matter  for  him  to  lay  a  course  for 
the  Colonies  from  there." 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence.  \Ve 
were  all  taken  aback  by  this  news  and  knew 
not  what  to  say,  until  finally  Alec  sank  back 
his  head  with  a  groan,  speaking  in  the 
Gaelic  which  I  translated. 

"  Do  your  best.  Master  Radisson,  and  we 
ask  no  more.  The  Lord  hath  sent  you  to 
us,  and  He  knows  His  business  best/' 

So  it  came  about  that  our  prow  was  no 
longer  turned  to  the  south,  but  to  the  west. 
Xow,  too,  the  winds  favored  us  and  drove 
us  onward  full  steadily,  and  the  same  day 
our  course  was  determined  on,  one  of  the 
men  found  a  sack  of  half-rotted  potatoes  in 
the  hold.  We  hunted  over,  but  found  no 
more.  These,  however,  served  to  stay  the 
sickness  in  a  slight  degree,  and  seemed  to 
the  men  to  be  a  good  omen. 

For  many  days  thereafter  we  stood  for- 
ward with  the  ice  all  around  and  with  the 
weather  bitter,  but  without  storms  to  hinder 
and  harass  us.  In  that  time  Pierre  Radis- 
son drew  ever  closer  to  me  and  to  Ruth, 
sitting  often  with  us  and  talking  much  of 
his  travels  and  adventures,  one  hand  on 
Grim  and  the  other  clasping  mine  or  Ruth's. 
On  one  of  these  occasions  I  asked  him 
about  Gib  o'  Clarclach,  called  The  Pike. 

"  The  man  is  of  your  own  country,"  an- 
swered Radisson,  "  though  most  of  his  life 
has  been  spent  among  the  French.  It  was 


in  New  France  I  found  him  first,  and  he 
was  a  member  of  the  party  that  went  with 
me  from  Montreal  to  the  fur  country.  He 
was  but  a  lad  then,  and  of  evil  ways,  but 
a  good  fighter  and  of  great  resource.  When 
we  returned,  our  canoes  deep-laden  with  a 
rich  cargo,  it  was  he  who  urged  the  Gov- 
ernor to  seize  the  furs  and  betray  me. 

"  After,  I  came  to  England.  When  next 
I  came  to  the  Great  Bay  whither  we  are 
now  bound,  this  fellow  stirred  up  trouble 
mere  than  once,  for  he  was  dwelling  among 
the  Chippewa  nation,  and  he  had  become  a 
powerful  man  among  them.  However,  I 
was  no  less  powerful  among  the  Crees,  and 
the  Sioux  to  the  far  south,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion we  trapped  The  Pike  with  many  of  his 
men.  It  was  thought  then  that  he  was 
killed,  but  evidently  he  escaped  to  do  more 
evil  in  the  world.  Long  ago  I  swore  ven- 
geance against  him,  and  that  vow  will  some 
day  be  kept." 

"  But  why  did  you  not  shoot  him  the  day 
he  led  the  mutinous  men?"  I  queried.  "If 
the  man  had  done  me  so  much  harm — " 

"  Peace,  lad,"  commanded  the  old  man 
firmly,  but  kindly.  "  I  am  older  than  you, 
and  such  things  I  have  learned  to  leave  to 
a  higher  hand  than  mine  own.  Never  fear, 
this  man  will  meet  his  punishment  as  God 
wills,  in  God's  own  good  time.  Mind  you 
not  what  the  Scriptures  say — " 

"  Aye,  well  enough,"  I  broke  in  heatedly, 
thinking  on  my  first  meeting  with  the  man. 
"  But  if  the  time  ever  comes  when  I  stand 
against  him  again,  I  will  strike  with  no  flat 
blade  then  !  And  besides,"  I  added  shrewd- 
ly, "  methinks  there  is  more  to  the  tale  than 
you  have  told." 

Radisson  smiled.  "  Aye,  lad,  much  more, 
but  the  time  is  not  come  for  the  telling, 
spitfire !" 

"  But,  sir,"  cried  out  Ruth  suddenly. 
"  how  is  it  that  you  are  taking  our  ship 
into  the  Great  Bay,  when  you  feared  so 
much  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  these  men? 
Will  they  not  do  you  injury?" 


THE    CONQUEST. 


31 


"  That  may  well  be,"  answered  Radisson 
quietly.  "  But  I  think  God  has  sent  me 
to  do  my  utmost  for  you  and  yours,  maiden. 
My  own  fate  matters  little,  and  it  is  even  in 
His  hands.  I  do  not  think  He  will  let  me 
coir.e  to  grief  while  I  serve  Him.  child." 

Ruth  said  nothing  to  this,  but  she  gazed 
at  Radlsson's  sorrow-graven  face  with  a 
great  admiration,  in  which  I  shared  to  the 
full.  And  in  truth  it  was  no  little  thing  to 
which  he  had  set  himself.  Were  it  known 
that  he  was  alive  and  in  the  fur  country, 
the  English  and  French  raiders  would  both 
be  after  him.  Both  nations  had  wronged 
him  deeply,  and  both  feared  and  hated 
him  equally ;  for  as  my  father  used  to 
say,  "If  ye  never  do  a  man  an  injury, 
Davie,  you'll  aye  live  in  brotherly  love." 
Thus  it  was  with  the  great  Pierre 
Radisson. 

He  of  all  men  had  seen  that  there  was 
an  unsuspected  greatness  in  the  country 
north  of  the  Canadas.  He  had  discovered 
and  opened  up  that  country  to  the  fur- 
trade,  and  had  received  little  thanks  for 
his  pains.  Even  his  wanderings  in  the 
far  west  were  but  little  known,  as  he  told 
them  to  us  during  the  voyage.  His  brief 
tale  of  Gib  had  shown  me  much  of  the 
man's  own  greatness,  for  Radisson  had 
spoken  without  bitterness  or  rancor, 
deeply  as  he  had  been  wronged  by  the 
traitor  and  spy. 

So,  if  he  took  the  "  Lass  "  into  Hudson's 
Bay  as  he  intended,  and  brought  us  safely 
to  one  of  the  Adventurers'  posts,  he  would 
have  little  chance  or  none  of  getting  away 
free  himself. 

Of  all  on  board,  I  think  that  only  Ruth 
and  I  understood  this — save,  mayhap,  Gib 
o'  Clarclach,  of  whom  now  we  saw  noth- 
ing at  all.  In  the  days  that  followed  our 
talk  with  Radisson,  I  had  no  chance  for 
another  spare  hour  with  Ruth.  The  illness 
had  seized  upon  the  crew  until  we  were 
were  very  shorthanded,  and  with  those  of 
our  party  who  were  able,  I  took  place  with 


the  sailors  at  the  ropes.  There  were  but 
half  a  dozen  of  us  all  left  untouched,  and 
a  few  days  later  poor  Maisie  Graham  died. 

Her  funeral  was  a  gloomy  enough  mat- 
ter, for  my  father,  looking  like  some  great 
gaunt  specter,  took  the  place  of  old  Alec 
and  afterwards  staggered  back  to  his  bed 
again.  Ruth  and  those  others  of  the  women 
who  could,  tended  the  sick.  At  morn  and 
eve  we  gathered  beside  Alec  and  it  was  a 
fearsome  thing  to  hear  the  words  of  prayer 
come  from  those  blackened,  disease-scarred 
lips.  Yet  those  days  of  terror  made  a 
man  out  of  me  who  had  been  a  boy,  and 
but  for  them  I  had  never  had  the  faith 
and  courage  to  meet  what  came  after. 

So  we  drove  east  and  south  through  the 
ice,  great  mountains  of  it  all  about  us, 
trusting  everything  to  the  old  man  who 
led  us  on.  Then  one  day  there  came  a 
blue  haze  on  the  horizon,  and  a  feeble 
yell  of  joy  went  up  from  the  men.  I 
looked  to  see  Radisson  turn  us  in  toward 
the  land,  but  he  shook  his  head  to  my 
questions. 

"  Xay,  lad,  that  is  but  a  barren  ice- 
bound coast.  We  must  on  into  the  bay 
itself  and  there,  please  God,  we  shall  find 
peace." 

But  the  news  that  we  were  come  to  the 
New  World  at  last  was  wondrous  hearten- 
ing to  our  sick,  notwithstanding  that  two 
of  the  men  died  that  same  day.  The  leak 
had  gained  greatly  upon  us,  and  the  next 
morning  I  felt  signs  of  the  illness  for  the 
first  time.  Ruth  had  not  been  touched  by 
it,  and  of  the  men  only  Gib,  Radisson,  and 
one  or  two  others  had  escaped.  But  all 
the  women,  poor  folk,  were  in  their  beds. 

Then  we  came  to  the  great  cliffs,  stern 
and  icy.  A  day  later  a  gale  came  down 
from  the  north  and  drove  us  onward  into 
the  bay;  and  although  this  increased  the 
labor  at  the  pumps,  yet  we  welcomed  it, 
since  it  but  sent  us  the  faster  toward  safety. 
And  at  length,  as  I  came  on  deck  'at  sun- 
rise to  take  up  my  watch,  I  heard  a  hoarse 


32 


THE    CONQUEST. 


shout  from  the  weary  men,  and  looking 
across  the  floating  ice  at  the  dark  shore, 
saw  a  break  of  green  that  we  had  come 
to  in  the  night. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

GRIM     HOWLS. 

IT  was  an  inhospitable  shore,  seen  through 
the  shreds  of  mist  that  were  driving 
in  on  us.  but  never  was  a  heartier  prayer 
of  thanks  sent  up  than  that  which  rose 
from  the  "  Lass  "  when  the  news  had 
spread.  The  wind  was  falling  and  a  fog 
setting  in,  so  that  we  were  long  in  making 
the  shore,  which  seemed  deserted.  Xot 
a  curl  of  smoke  went  upward  from  all  its 
length. 

Ruth  and  I  stood  on  the  poop,  hand  in 
hand,  watching  that  long-desired  shore 
until  the  fog  had  thickened  and  the  wind 
dropped.  At  this  Radisson  ordered  the 
anchor  put  out.  and  I  perforce  assisted  at 
the  task.  When  I  returned  to  Ruth  she 
was  staring  over  the  rail  strangely. 

"  Davie."  she  asked  in  a  low  voice, 
"  does  it  not  seem  to  you  that  the  ship  is 
lower  in  the  water  this  morning?" 

"  I  had  not  seen  it,"  I  replied  carelessly. 
As  I  looked  overside  with  her  my  heart 
leaped  up,  for  in  truth  the  ship  was  sitting 
low.  I  knew  that  the  leak  had  gained  on  us, 
but  evidently  it  was  nothing  serious,  for  the 
men  had  made  no  outcry  about  it. 

However,  I  had  scant  time  to  reassure 
Ruth,  for  presently  Radisson  approached 
us.  Grim  tagged  at  his  heels,  for  since  my 
father's  illness  the  dog  had  taken  to  fol- 
lowing the  old  man  around. 

"  Davie,"  he  said,  "  pick  out  what  men 
can  row  and  get  the  longboat  over.  We 
must  make  a  camp  here  and  relieve  the 
worst  cases  among  the  sick,  then  we  can 
go  on  to  Albany,  which  I  take  to  be  the 
nearest  post." 


Save  for  scattered  cakes,  the  bay  was 
free  enough  of  ice,  but  the  fog  now  had 
almost  hid  the  shore  from  sight.  Only 
three  of  the  crew  were  able  to  row — 
Black  Michael,  Gib  and  the  sailor  Eoghan. 
That  made  the  four  of  us,  however,  and 
we  made  shift  to  get  the  longboat  over 
the  side,  by  the  help  of  Radisson  and  Ruth. 
It  was  a  sad  and  terrible  sight,  to  watch 
those  others,  who  had  been  strong  men 
all,  lying  about  the  decks  or  gazing  on  us 
with  a  wild  stare  of  hope. 

When  the  boat  was  over,  we  began 
lading  her  as  our  captain  ordered  us,  with 
canvas,  stores,  powder,  fusils  and  a  host 
of  other  things. 

"  We  will  set  out  a  camp,"  declared 
Radisson,  when  at  length  the  boat  was 
laden  to  the  gunwales.  "  Then  the  sick 
will  go  on  shore  while  I  gather  herbs  and 
green  things  which  I  know  well.  With 
these,  we  will  be  enabled  to  overcome  the 
scurvy  in  a  few  days,  I  trust.'' 

What  might  have  passed  for  a  feeble 
cheer  went  up  from  the  pathetic  group 
above  us,  but  even  as  Radisson  leaped 
down  into  the  boat.  Eoghan  went  forward 
over  his  oar  with  a  single  groan.  I  tried 
to  pull  him  up,  but  the  poor  fellow  could 
not  move.  The  scurvy  had  taken  hold  on 
him  of  a  sudden,  and  he  muttered  that  his 
joints  were  aflame.  Radisson  would  have 
taken  his  place,  but  with  a  flash  Ruth  was 
over  the  rail  and  had  pushed  him  away. 

"  I  can  row  as  well  as  you,"  she  laughed. 
"  Save  your  strength,  sir !  Yours  is  of 
more  worth  to  us  than  is  mine." 

"  Aye,  let  the  lassie  go !"  And  with 
amazement  I  beheld  my  father  clinging  to 
the  rail  above  and  staring  down  with 
ghastly  eyes.  "  God  speed  your  errand 
and  give  you  His  blessing !"  Methought 
he  spoke  more  to  me  than  Radisson.  and 
later  this  reflection  has  comforted  me,  for 
this  was  the  last  word  I  ever  had  with 
my  father  Fergus. 

So    Radisson    nodded    to    Ruth    and    we 


THE    CONQUEST. 


33 


pushed  away  from  the  ship.  Then  for  the 
first  time  I  noticed  that  Grim  had  followed 
us  into  the  boat  and  was  crouched  in  the 
stern  beside  the  old  white-haired  wanderer. 
Over'  us  gathered  the  other  dogs,  and  the 
last  token  we  had  as  we  oulled  away  into 
the  fog  was  the  full-throated  bark  of  Tam 
Graham's  Sandy. 

There  was  no  wind  and  the  fog  lay  thick 
and  wet  about  us.  Ahead  rose  the  gray 
line  of  the  shore,  grim  enough  for  all  its 
touch  of  green.  As  I  looked  back  at  the 
ship  I  realized  more  than  ever  the  truth 
behind  those  words  of  Homer,  beaten  into 
my  head  by  my  father — "  Let  us  go  up 
the  sounding  seas !"  For  the  water  seemed 
to  rise  behind  until  they  met  and  blended 
with  the  gray  wall  of  mist  above ;  and  in 
the  midst,  dim  and  ghostly,  hung  the  "  Lass 
o'  Dee."  That  picture  clung  long  in  my 
memory — that,  and  the  brown  shoulders  of 
Gib  o'  Clarclach  rising  and  falling  before 
me  on  the  after-thwart. 

Presently  Radisson  cried  to  us  to  cease 
rowing,  and  I  glanced  over  my  shoulder 
to  see  a  line  of  black  rocks  a  few  yards 
away.  Black  Michael,  in  the  bow,  fended 
us  in  and  sprang  ashore  with  a  shout  of 
rejoicing  which  we  all  echoed  as  we  fol- 
lowed him,  even  Grim  catching  the  en- 
thusiasm and  giving  vent  to  a  series  of 
loud  barks. 

Bleak  rocks  lay  before  and  about  us, 
interspersed  with  small  trees  and  bushes. 
To  one  side  a  little  cascading  brook 
trickled  down  over  the  rocks  into  the  sea 
with  a  quiet  murmur.  But  there  was  no 
sign  of  human  life  within  our  limited  range 
of  vision. 

We  were  all  chilled  to  the  bone  by  that 
heavy,  dank  fog,  which  by  now  had  closed 
in  thicker  than  ever,  so  that  when  Radis- 
son said  he  would  start  a  fire  we  began 
unloading  the  boat  with  alacrity.  He  dis- 
appeared into  the  bushes,  soon  emerging 
with  an  armful  of  sticks  and  bark.  By 
means  of  my  flint  and  steel  we  soon  had  a 


fire  blazing,  dragged  poor  Eoghan  up  from 
the  boat,  and  clustered  joyfully  about  the 
warmth. 

"  David,"  said  Radisson  after  a  little, 
''  do  you  and  your  sister  come  with  me. 
We  must  see  to  curing  this  scurvy,  which 
I  fear  is  getting  into  my  old  bones  at 
last." 

Catching  Ruth's  hand  I  pulled  her  up 
with  a  laugh  and  we  left  Black  Michael 
and  Gib  staring  at  us  dully,  across  the  half- 
senseless  body  of  Eoghan. 

"  Wait,  lad,"  Radisson  pointed  to  a 
clump  of  bushes.  "  Do  you  stop  here  with- 
in sight  of  the  camp.  In  this  fog  it  were 
an  easy  matter  to  get  lost  beyond  repair. 
Call  to  us  every  few  moments  and  pluck 
all  these  leaves  you  can  carry.  Chew  some 
of  them  well,  while  Ruth  and  I  go  on 
after  others." 

I  fell  to  work  on  the  bushes,  cramming 
my  mouth  full  of  the  leaves  and  stuffing 
my  pockets  with  them.  I  did  not  neglect 
to  call  out  frequently,  Ruth's  silvery  voice 
rising  clearly  in  response.  Meanwhile  I 
carried  some  of  the  leaves  to  the  men  in 
camp,  and  much  to  my  surprise  saw  Gib  o' 
Clarclach  just  giving  some  to  Black 
Michael,  so  I  merely  thrust  a  few  into 
Eoghan's  mouth  and  bade  him  chew  for 
his  life.  It  was  plain  that  Gib  had  small 
need  of  Radisson's  services  in  this  land. 

In  no  great  while  Ruth  and  the  old  man 
rejoined  us,  laden  down  with  roots  and 
leaves  of  divers  shapes.  These  we  bruised 
between  stones  and  with  them  filled  a  ket- 
tle which  had  been  fetched  from  the  ship. 
To  this  was  put  water,  and  the  kettle  was 
then  set  over  the  fire. 

"  Now,"  ordered  Radisson,  "  do  you  stay 
here.  Mistress  Ruth,  while  we  go  fetch  a 
load  of  the  sick.  Keep  this  brew  simmer- 
ing, so  it  may  be  ready  on  our  return." 

We  stepped  toward  the  boat,  but  Gib 
and  Black  Michael  made  no  move  to  arise. 
Radisson  spoke  to  them  sharply,  whereat 
Gib  growled  sullenly  in  French. 


34 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  Do  the  work  yourself,  an'  you  will ! 
I  be  not  going  to  budge  from  solid  earth 
for  you  or — " 

He  got  no  farther,  for  Radisson  took  one 
long  step  to  his  side,  his  stern  old  face 
livid  with  sudden  fury.  Seizing  the  man 
by  the  throat,  he  lifted  him  with  one  hand 
and  dashed  him  back  to  the  ground,  like 
as  I  have  seen  my  father  dash  a  spider 
from  him. 

"  Obey  me,  you  dog !  Get  to  the  boat, 
both  of  yon,  lest  I  forget  myself  !" 

Coming  from  the  old  man  of  seventy,  the 
words  may  seem  ludicrous  enough ;  but 
there  was  that  in  his  voice  which  brought 
the  two  men  to  their  feet  without  a  word 
more.  Sullenly  they  stepped  into  the  boat 
while  Radisson  watched  them.  Then  he 
turned  to  me. 

"  In  with  you.  Davie  !  "We'll  leave  Ruth 
to  take  care  of  Eoghan." 

"  Willingly,"  she  laughed  gayly.  then 
added  more  soberly,  "  You'll  bring  father 
back  in  the  first  boat,  Davie  ?" 

"  That  we  will,  lass."  I  made  hearty 
answer,  and  she  watched  us  off,  her  hand 
resting  on  Grim's  head.  The  ship  was 
hid  from  us  in  the  fog,  but  Radisson  had 
her  compass-bearing  from  the  shore.  Now 
there  happened  a  fearsome  thing,  a  thing 
which  has  made  my  blood  run  chill 
many  a  night  since. 

Just  before  the  shore  was  closed  from 
sight,  I  saw  Grim  lift  his  head  from  Ruth's 
hand  and  utter  one  long  howl.  So  mourn- 
ful was  that  voice,  so  terrible  in  the  loneli- 
ness around,  that  it  drew  a  curse  from 
Black  Michael,  and  I  shivered  despite  my- 
self. And  in  this  same  moment  came  an- 
other howl — but  now  from  the  fog  ahead 
of  us — a  long  deep  cry  which  I  recognized 
for  old  Sandy's,  and  it  was  cut  short  in 
the  midst  as  by  his  master's  hand.  But 
Tam  Graham  was  lying  sick  between  decks, 
as  we  well  knew. 

And  with  that  I  felt  that  something  was 
wrong.  I  believe  that  we  all  sensed  it,  for 


the  others  fell  to  their  oars  and  Radisson's 
shaggy  white  brows  drew  far  down.  Know- 
ing Grim  as  I  did,  I  was  far  more  fearful 
than  the  others ;  only  once  before  had  I 
heard  such  sound  from  his  throat,  and  that 
was  on  the  day  my  mother  died. 

So  as  I  pulled  I  cast  glances  over  my 
shoulder,  seeking  the  ship,  and  sudden  re- 
membrance of  Ruth's  words  that  morning 
put  haste,  into  my  oar.  My  mind  was  full 
of  its  uneasy  fear,  and  it  was  full  five 
minutes  before  I  realized  that  we  should 
have  come  to  the  ship 'ere  this.  I  could 
see  naught  of  her  in  the  fog,  and  when  I 
looked  to  Radisson  I  saw  him  studying 
his  compass  and  peering  about. 

"Have  we  lost  the  'Lass'?"  I  cried 
between  strokes. 

"  Strange  !"  he  muttered,  frowning.  "  I 
had  her  bearings  right  enough,  but — 

Black  Michael  cried  out  in  Gaelic  that  we 
were  of  a  surety  bewitched,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment my  heart  failed  me  and  I  stared  at 
Radisson  in  horror. 

"  Her  cable  was  not  strong,"  spoke  up 
Gib,  who  had  lost  his  surliness  of  a  sud- 
den. "  Mayhap  it  parted  and  sent  her 
adrift.^ 

"  There  is  no  wind  to  drift  her,"  an- 
swered Radisson,  perplexed.  "  Yet  we 
heard  the  dogs  howl  plain  enough.  What 
make  you  of  it,  Davie?" 

"  God  knows !"  I  half  sobbed,  staring 
back  over  my  shoulder  in  the  shuddering 
fog,  that  seemed  to  stifle  us,  so  thick  was 
it.  An  old  word  came  into  my  head,  and 
out  I  blurted  it.  "  Ill's  the  wind  when 
dogs  howl." 

At  this  Black  Michael  uttered  a  savage 
Gaelic  oath  that  was  half  pure  fear,  and 
paused  on  his  oar.  For  a  little  we  drifted 
thus,  the  sullen  seas  heaving  beneath  us, 
driving  us  slowly  up  and  down  yet  giving 
us  no  sign  of  what  lay  beyond  that  curtain 
of  gray.  It  was  uncanny,  and  I  shivered 
again  until  my  oar  was  all  but  lost. 

"  Give  me  that  fusil,"  commanded  Radis- 


THE  CONQUEST: 


35 


son.  I  took  up  the  gun,  which  was  ready 
loaded,  and  passed  it  to  him.  Lifting  it, 
he  fired  in  the  air.  There  was  no  answer 
save  a  dull  echo  and  the  lap-lap  of  water 
on  our  sides.  Black  Michael  went  gray 
with  sheer  fright. 

"  Strange,"  exclaimed  Radisson  again, 
and  even  his  deep  voice  was  shaken. 
"  What  think  you  of  it,  Jean  ?" 

I  remembered  later  how  then  he  turned 
to  the  man  he  hated  above  all  others,  and 
I  respected  him  the  more  for  it.  Gib,  for 
it  was  he  whom  Radisson  addressed,  leaned 
over  and  snatched  something  from  the 
water. 

"  This,   Sieur  Radisson." 

He  held  up  a  dripping  object.  We  all 
stared  at  it,  then  I  felt  my  heart  leap, 
and  I  uttered  a  cry  of  horror — for  the 
thing  was  the  front  cover  of  my  father's 
Bible! 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

DESERTED. 

EVEN  that  hardened  villain  Gib  was 
shocked  at  this  discovery.  He  handed 
the  soaked  leather  cover  to  me  in 
silence,  and  when  I  raised  my  face  I  saw 
Radisson  gazing  at  me,  a  great  sadness  in 
his  eyes.  I  stammered  out  what  the  thing 
was,  and  thereafter  silence  fell  upon  us  all. 

I  knew  full  well  that  some  dire  thing 
had  happened  before  that  sacred  Bible 
could  have  been  wrenched  asunder  in  my 
father's  hands,  for  seldom  indeed  had  it 
ever  left  him.  I  stood  up  on  the  seat  and 
shotted  in  a  frenzy  of  fear,  for  that  horri- 
ble fog  set  badly  on  my  soul. 

"Father!    Father!    Where  are  you?" 

But  through  the  mist  came  only  one 
faint  reply — a  weird  howl  from  the  throat 
of  Grim.  I  sank  back  staring  and  Radis- 
son gave  a  short  order. 

"  Pull,  all  of  you !    Somewhat  has  hap- 


pened to  the  ship,  plain  enough.  Yet  may 
we  rescue  some  of  the  poor  souls  aboard 
her.  if  it  be  God's  will." 

We  gave  way  with  desperate  energy,  but 
though  we  rowed  back  and  forth  in  that 
blanketed  fog  for  nigh  an  hour,  we  found 
no  sign  of  Wat  Herries'  ship  other  than 
the  torn,  watersoaked  fragment  of  leather 
that  lay  in  my  shirt  bosom.  Despair  sat 
heavily  upon  us  all,  and  at  length  Radisson, 
his  face  haggard  and  terrible,  swept  us 
about  and  we  gave  up  the  vain  search. 

It  must  be  that  the  touch  of  scurvy  and 
the  hardships  of  that  voyage  had  sapped 
my  strength,  and  that  this  horrible  day 
had  set  a  finish  upon  it,  for  I  remember 
nothing  more  save  staggering  to  the  camp, 
when  we  had  reached  the  shore,  and  meet- 
ing Ruth  as  she  advanced.  Then  I  fell 
forward,  my  arms  going  about  Grim's 
shaggy  neck ;  I  tried  to  sob  out  something, 
and  therewith  fainted  dead  away. 

I  recovered  to  find  Ruth  feeding  me  a 
bitter  herb-brew,  which  I  pushed  from  me 
as  I  sat  up.  My  head  had  been  in  her 
arms,  and  when  my  eyes  met  hers  I  re- 
membered all,  and  near  cried  out  but  with 
the  shock  of  the  memory.  For  the  grief  in 
her  sweet  face  showed  all  too  clearly  that 
she  had  been  told  of  the  tidings.  Then 
Grim  licked  my  hand,  whereat  I  rose  to  my 
feet;  it  came  to  me  in  that  instant  that 
there  was  a  new  burden  now  on  my  shoul- 
ders, and  that  I  must  show  myself  for  a 
man  indeed. 

"Here,  Davie,"  cried  out  Radisson, 
"  come  and  help  me  with  this  canvas. 
Ruth,  give  Eoghan  some  more  of  that 
brew." 

I  joined  him  and  the  other  two,  and 
under  his  guidance  we  stretched  the  canvas 
into  some  semblance  of  a  tent  that  would 
make  a  rude  shelter  for  us.  When  this  had 
been  done  to  his  liking,  Radisson  had  us 
rear,  a  little  distance  off,  a  shedlike  cover, 
of  boughs  over  which  he  flung  our  plaids. 
This  was  for  the  use  of  Ruth. 


36 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  Come,  lad,"  and  a  heavy  hand  fell  on 
my  shoulder.  "  No  more  of  this  staring 
into  the  fog-cloud:  help  us  gather  fire- 
wood against  the  night." 

Turning,  I  looked  into  the  face  of  Black 
Michael  and  recognized  his  rough  but  kind- 
ly attempt  to  hearten  me.  I  had  not  thought 
it  of  him,  so  dark  and  sullen  the  man 
was  ever,  and  the  memory  of  those  few 
words  has  always  touched  him  kindly  in 
my  mind.  So  I  helped  him  gather  wood. 
after  which  we  made  a  sorry  enough  meal, 
our  first  in  the  New  World. 

Eoghan  was  somewhat  recovered  by 
now,  and  the  leaves  and  brew  had  done 
us  all  good,  even  in  that  little  time.  But 
none  the  less  we  were  in  desperate  case, 
and  our  gathering  was  a  quiet  one.  When 
the  meal  was  done  Radisson  beckoned  me 
to  one  side. 

"  Come  you  for  a  little  exploring, 
David." 

But  when  we  had  left  the  camp  and 
were  among  the  trees,  his  tone  changed 
and  he  gripped  me  by  the  shoulder,  whirl- 
ing fiercely  upon  me. 

"  Lad,  there  be  three  fusils  and  five 
horns  of  powder  yonder  in  the  camp.  Get 
them  all  safe  stowed  away  in  hiding,  for 
we  may  have  trouble  from  these  men  ere 
long." 

I  stared  at  him  agape.  "  Why,  do  you 
fear — " 

"  Obey  orders  !"  he  snapped.  Then,  his 
face  relaxing  from  its  anxious  tensity,  he 
continued  more  kindly.  "  Aye,  I  fear  that 
for  one  thing  the  ship  is  lost,  David.  When 
this  cursed  fog  lifts  we  shall  know  for 
certain ;  but  hope  for  little.  I  misdoubt 
that  great  howl  from  the  dogs;  besides, 
there  was  no  answer  to  our  cries  or  shot. 
All  those  aboard  her  were  too  weak  to 
man  the  pumps,  and  I  fear  she  has  filled 
and  gone  down  at  her  anchor." 

I  was  about  to  make  reply  when  he 
checked  me. 

"  We    have    ourselves    to    depend    on, 


David.  Brace  up,  lad — remember  that  your 
sister  must  be  saved  by  us." 

"  Saved — from  what  ?"  I  repeated.  "  We 
have  the  boat  and  can  make  our  way — " 

'*  Peace,"  he  cried.  "  You  know  noth- 
ing of  the  dangers  about  us,  even  in  our 
own  party.  Do  my  bidding  in  the  matter 
of  the  fusils  and  powder.  Say  as  little  as 
may  be  to  anyone,  especially  to  Ruth,  for 
I  may  be  wrong  and  it  were  not  well 
to  alarm  her.  Go  now — I  will  return 
presently." 

So  in  no  little  alarm  and  perplexity  I 
returned,  to  find  no  change  in  affairs  at  the 
camp.  The  three  fusils  and  the  powder 
were  easily  secured  and  I  placed  them  in 
Ruth's  shelter  in  charge  of  Grim.  The 
weather  remained  as  it  had  been,  the  fog 
still  heavy  on  the  waters. 

Side  by  side,  Ruth  and  I  sat  near  the 
fire  for  hours.  In  truth,  the  poor  maid 
was  drooping  with  sheer  fatigue.  I.  poor 
lout,  could  think  of  naught  cheering  to  say 
to  her,  and  so  we  sat  and  listened  to  the 
lapping  of  the  waves  below  and  the  chance 
talk  of  the  three  men.  I  mentioned  it  not 
to  Ruth,  but  the  more  I  saw  of  Gib  the 
more  I  feared  and  hated  the  fellow,  though 
for  no  very  tangible  reason  save  the  words 
of  Radisson.  And  those  I  understood  but 
dimly  for  many  days  to  come. 

Toward  the  sunset  Radisson  returned  to 
us.  bearing  two  dead  rabbits.  These  were 
prepared  and  Ruth  cooked  them,  giving  us 
a  wholesome  change  from  the  salt  meat. 
Gradually  the  darkness  fell,  and  we  built 
up  the  fire  until  its  warmth  gave  us  such 
a  glow  as  we  had  not  known  for  weeks. 

That  night  Radisson  told  us  many  stories 
of  his  adventures  in  this  very  country  and 
in  the  Canadas  to  the  south.  He  told  how 
he  had  been  captured  as  a  lad  by  the  Mo- 
hawk Indians  and  how  he  had  finally 
become  a  great  man  among  them,  before 
returning  to  his  own  people.  Then  he 
told  of  that  great  empire  of  the  redmen. 
called  the  Five  Nations,  of  which  the  Mo- 


THE    CONQUEST. 


37 


hawks  are  the  greatest;  of  his  later  travels 
in  the  west  and  of  how  he  had  discovered 
that  great  river  called  "  Father  of  Waters  " 
by  the  Indians,  which  in  later  days  had 
been  "  discovered "  anew,  for  Radisson 
never  stood  well  with  the  Papists.  To  his 
stories  the  men  listened  eagerly,  Gib  with 
a  half  sneer,  but  little  did  I  heed  their 
glumness.  Ruth  and  I  forgot  ourselves  in 
Radisson's  words,  which  was  perhaps  as  he 
had  intended. 

So  drew  that  day  to  a  close.  Seldom 
in  my  life  have  I  known  a  more  terrible 
one — not  from  its  actual  danger,  but  from 
the  mere  lawfulness  of  the  unknown.  Only 
once  have  I  felt  greater  terror,  and  of 
that  you  shall  hear  in  its  proper  place. 

In  the  night  a  little  breeze  arose.  I 
woke  once  to  find  Radisson  building  the 
fire  anew,  and  cast  my  eyes  toward  the  star- 
hung  waters.  But  no  ship's  light  could 
I  see,  and  I  think  I  sobbed  myself  to 
sleep  in  misery  of  heart,  for  I  remember 
Gib  cursing  me  in  some  strange  tongue. 

With  the  morning  our  worst  fears 
were  confirmed.  There  before  us  lay  the 
blue  bay  glittering  in  the  sun,  but  never  a 
sign  of  the  "  Lass  o'  Dee."  To  north 
and  west  the  shore  stretched,  while  the 
country  behind  us  seemed  thickly  wooded 
and  deserted.  It  was  a  strange  thing,  to 
me  at  least,  to  see  all  that  land  with  not 
a  single  spiral  of  smoke  curling  up  from 
any  farm  or  stead. 

That  the  ship  had  sunk  with  all  on 
board,  I  no  longer  had  any  doubt.  For- 
tunately, we  had  good  store  of  provisions, 
and  as  I  sat  with  Ruth  that  morning  and 
gazed  out  across  the  water,  I  did  my  best  to 
cheer  up  the  poor  maid.  The  loss  of  my 
father  and  the  rest  was  a  great  shock  to 
her,  coming  as  it  had,  but  she  was  never 
much  given  to  grieving  and  sat  there  dry- 
eyed.  Pretty  enough  she  looked,  despite 
her  grief,  for  her  yellow  hair  fell  braided 
over  her  shoulders  and  her  great  violet 
eyes  stared  out  from  beneath  her  fine,  high 


brows.  Looking  at  her  in  this  moment,  I 
was  startled  by  a  likeness  of  her  profile 
to  that  of  old  Radisson;  howbeit,  I  said 
nothing  of  it  at  the  time. 

No  sooner  had  we  made  sure  of  the 
ship's  loss  than  Radisson  vanished  with 
one  of  the  fusils,  and  after  a  time  we 
heard  a  faint  shot.  The  men  were  already 
like  new,  the  scurvy  symptoms  vanishing 
rapidly  before  the  herb-brew  and  roots,  and 
I  myself  could  feel  the  great  change  which 
these  had  worked  in  me. 

Slowly  the  morning  drew  on,  and  then 
Radisson  appeared  bearing  parts  of  a  deer- 
like  animal  he  called  a  caribou.  When 
we  had  eaten  and  drunk  we  felt  won- 
drous better,  both  in  body  and  mind. 

"  It  is  hard  to  realize,"  said  Ruth  very 
soberly,  "  that  we  alone  are  left  alive  out 
of  all  that  ship's  company.  It  seems  like 
some  evil  dream." 

"  It  is  no  dream,  maid,"  returned  Radis- 
son sadly,  "  but  cold  reality.  It  behooves 
us  to  make  some  plan,  my  friends.  Where 
think  you  we  are,  Jean?" 

And  now  for  the  second  time  Gib 
answered  to  the  French  name.  Truly,  he 
seemed  a  person  of  many  titles. 

"  I  would  say  to  the  northwest  of 
Albany,"  he  replied  slowly,  cocking  his  evil 
face  up  at  the  sky.  "  The  southern  shore 
is  lower  than  this,  methinks.  We  might 
be  near  those  barren  lands  the  Chippewas 
tell  of." 

Radisson  nodded.  "  So  it  seemed  to  me, 
although  I  have  never  been  up  through 
these  more  northern  lands.  Then  our  best 
plan  will  be  to  go  south  in  the  boat.  Surely 
we  ought  to  reach  the  fort  within  a  day 
or  so,  and  then — " 

Radisson  paused  suddenly.  I  saw  the 
eyes  of  Gib  grow  small  and  cold  and  hard, 
and  they  met  those  of  the  old  wanderer 
insolently. 

"And  then?"  He  repeated  half  mock- 
ingly, with  a  triumphant  leer.  "  England 
and  France  are  at  peace,  in  these  parts ! 


THE    COX  QUEST. 


And  perchance  the  Governor  would  pay  as 
well  for  a  certain  hostage  we  wot  of  as 
would  certain  parties  in  New  France." 

Radisson  said  nothing,  but  looked  at  the 
man  steadily  for  a  long  while,  though  I 
saw  the  cords  of  his  neck  bulge  out.  At 
length  the  bold  eyes  of  Gib  shifted  and 
then  fell  beneath  that  intent  look,  and  our 
leader  spoke  calmly  and  quietly. 

''  I  think  we  will  all  be.  able  to  row  in  the 
morning.  We  will  start  then.  If  need  be. 
we  can  make  a  sail  of  this  canvas.  This 
afternoon  we  will  reload  the  boat." 

Xow  it  seemed  to  me  that  a  single  swift 
glance  passed  between  Gib  and  Black 
Michael.  Then  the  latter  wagged  his  great 
beard  dubiously. 

"  I  fear  me  we  are  in  no  great  spirit  for 
rowing.  Master  Radisson."  he  grumbled, 
although  an  hour  before  lie  had  been 
working  well  enough  over  the  fire.  "  My 
joints  are  sore,  and  Eoghan  here  can  barely 
move." 

"  Fool,  to  take  Pierre  Radisson  for  a 
chiM !"  That  was  all  the  old  man  said, 
but  before  his  eyes  Black  Michael  seemed 
to  shrink  back  in  confused  silence.  If  this 
kept  on,  I  knew  that  Radisson  would  be 
goaded  into  action  we  might  all  regret ; 
albeit,  boylike.  I  rejoiced  thereat  as  the 
thought  came  to  me.  Then  I  fell  to  pon- 
dering on  that  puzzle  which  had  vexed 
me  so  sore — Gib  o'  Clarclach.  Who  was 
he?  Had  Radisson  told  me  truly  or  no? 
And  who  was  this  hostage  of  whom  he  had 
spoken  ?  But  I  knew  no  more  at  the  end 
of  that  pondering  than  I  knew  at  the 
beginning. 

During  the  afternoon  we  loaded  most  of 
our  goods  back  into  the  boat,  so  that  in  the 
morning  we  might  make  a  start.  Most  of  the 
provisions  were  put  aboard,  together  with 
the  spare  clothes  and  other  things  we  had 
fetched  from  the  ship,  but  the  fusils,  pow- 
der and  shot  I  left  where  they  had  been 
hid.  And  fortunate  it  was  that  I  did  so, 
as  events  fell  out. 


To  tell  the  truth,  I  think  Ruth  grieved 
more  for  my  father  than  did  I.  He  had 
ever  been  a  hard  man,  just  but  stern  in  all 
things,  and  I  had  been  more  my  mother's 
son  while  she  lived.  The  thing  was  rather 
a  shock  than  a  heart-grief  to  me.  I  verily 
believe,  and  bitterly  have  I  reproached  my- 
self that  it  was  so,  but  without  avail. 

That  night  I  noticed  that  Black  Michael 
cast  anxious  glances  at  us,  and  the  sailor 
Eoghan  stared  more  than  once  at  the  gold 
brooch  at  Ruth's  throat.  I  thought  long 
on  this,  and  it  brought  again  to  my  mind 
that  scene  on  the  beach  near  Rathesby, 
when  Gib  and  the  other  had  fallen  to  star- 
ing at  the  brooch  also.  What  might  the 
thing  be.  and  whose  arms  were  those 
graven  upon  it?  But  this  Ruth  knew  as 
little  as  I,  and  I  concluded  that  the  men 
were  but  attracted  by  the  glitter  of  the 
massy  gold,  as  was  like  enough. 

This  night  fell  warm  and  clear,  very  dif- 
ferent from  that  before.  Xow  Radisson 
and  I  lay  together,  the  other  three  sleeping 
beyond  us  and  nearer  to  the  fire.  I 
wrapped  my  plaid  about  me.  as  I  had  done 
many  a  time  on  the  moors  at  home,  and 
fell  asleep  almost  at  once;  as  yet  I  was 
none  too  strong,  and  even  the  little  work 
done  that  day  had  wearied  me.  Grim  lay 
beside  Ruth's  shelter. 

How  long  I  slept  I  know  not,  but  when 
I  wakened  the  fire  had  died  down  to  a  red 
glow.  I  lay  wondering  what  had  roused 
me,  then  sat  up.  The  place  where  Gib 
had  lain  was  vacant. 

But  I  was  too  sleepy  to  waste  time  on 
such  little  things,  and  so  rolled  over  again 
and  dropped  off.  When  next  I  opened  mine 
eyes  it  was  to  find  Radisson  bending  over 
and  shaking  me  roughly. 

"  Waken.  David !"  Something  in  that 
deep  rich  voice  of  his  brought  me  to  my 
feet. 

"What  is  it?"  I  cried,  staring  about  into 
the  new  dawn.  ''What  is  the  matter?" 

"  Matter   enough,''   replied   the   old   man 


"Down  with  the  gun,  lad.    These  be  friends.' 


39 


40 


THE    CONQUEST. 


gravely.     "  The  men   have  gone  off  with 
the  boat,  lad,  and  we  are  deserted!" 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE    GREAT    ADVENTURE    BEGINS. 

1  LOOKED  around,  dazed.  Of  the  three 
men  there  was  no  sign,  and  the  boat 
was  gone  from  the  shore.  As  I  stared, 
scarce  believing  mine  own  eyes,  Rnth  and 
Grim  came  toward  us.  The  lassie  had  heard 
the  news  already,  for  at  my  exclamation  of 
anger  she  tried  to  hearten  us  with  a  laugh, 
and  slipped  her  hand  into  that  of  Radisson. 

"  Never  mind,  Davie.  we  are  better  off 
without  them  !  So  put  that  black  look  from 
your  face  and  let  them  go,  since  they  will 
have  it  so ;  they  will  only  fetch  us  succor 
the  sooner." 

Radisson  but  grunted — a  habit  he  had 
when  words  failed  him. 

"  The  cowards !"  I  broke  forth  hotly, 
staring  across  the  vacant  waters.  "  'Tis 
little  we  can  look  to  them  for.  Ruth.  To 
steal  off  and  leave  us  in  our  sleep !"  And 
I  told  how  I  had  awakened  during  the  night. 

"  You  know  not  the  danger,  either  of 
of  you."  Radisson  shook  his  head  gloom- 
ily, the  while  his  fine  eyes  searched  the 
woods  about  us.  "  We  must  pack  what  we 
can  carry  on  our  backs.  It  may  be  that 
we  shall  yet  reach  the  post  in  safety  be- 
fore them." 

I  saw  no  reason  why  we  must  hasten  to 
reach  the  fort  ahead  of  the  scoundrels,  but 
at  the  time  it  seemed  too  small  a  matter  to 
call  for  exposition.  Our  leader  was  no 
man  to  bide  inactive.  We  had  each  a  fusil, 
and  good  store  of  powder  and  shot,  while 
food  was  to  be  had  for  the  getting,  it 
seemed.  I  began  to  think  that  this  land 
might  not  be  so  barren  after  all. 

What  was  left  to  us  we  made  into  two 
bundles,  Radisson  taking  one  and  I  the 


other.  Then  we  set  off  along  the  brook, 
inland.  The  country  was  high  and  bare, 
save  for  bushes  and  evergreen  trees,  but  of 
heather  I  saw  none;  indeed,  as  I  learned 
later,  there  was  none  of  our  proper  heather 
in  all  this  New  World. 

As  Radisson  believed  Fort  Albany  to  be 
toward  the  southeast,  our  best  plan  was 
to  follow  the  course  of  the  streamlet, 
which  turned  from  the  shore  toward  the 
south.  We  were  soon  lost  in  the  tangle  of 
bush,  and  about  noon  left  the  stream  alto- 
gether. Then  it  developed  that  the  three 
deserters  had  taken  Radisson's  compass; 
but  of  this  our  leader  recked  little,  for 
he  guided  us  by  some  sixth  sense  which 
he  averred  was  part  of  the  Indian  training. 

Despite  the  rough  ground  and  our 
loads,  we  must  have  made  full  ten  or 
twelve  miles  that  day,  and  with  nightfall 
camped  beside  a  river  of  goodly  size,  mak- 
ing our  dinner  from  a  hare  which  Grim 
fetched  in.  It  was  late  before  I  could 
sleep,  the  woods  around  being  filled  with 
strange  noises  and  the  calls  of  birds  and 
animals.  In  the  morning  I  had  my  first 
sight  of  the  men  of  the  New  World. 

I  was  about  building  a  fire,  on  a  big 
rock  by  the  river's  edge,  when  I  heard  a 
voice  from  the  water.  Looking  up,  I  saw 
three  canoes  poised  noiselessly  in  the 
stream,  each  bearing  two  dark-skinned 
men  whose  hair  \vas  hung  in  braids  and 
who  were  naked  to  the  waist.  Their  faces 
were  not  painted,  as  in  Radisson's  stories, 
and  all  were  staring  at  me  as  at  some 
wondrous  marvel. 

I  cried  out  and  sprang  for  a  fusil,  but 
the  paddles  swept  down  once,  and  even 
as  Radisson  awoke  the  first  Indian  leaped 
ashore.  I  was  trying  to  load  a  fusil  in 
haste,  but  Radisson  sprang  up  and  halted 
me  after  a  quick  look  at  the  red  men. 

"  Down  with  the  gun,  lad.  These  be 
friends." 

All  six  of  them  landed  now,  but  stopped 
their  advance  with  a  gutteral  word  of  sur- 


THE    CONQUEST. 


41 


prise  at  sight  of  the  old  wanderer.  I  laid 
my  hand  on  Grim's  bristling  neck. 

"  What  cheer!"  said  Radisson  in  English. 
"  Has  Soan-ge-ta-ha  forgotten  his  friend 
the  White  Eagle?" 

One  of  the  Indians,  older  than  the  rest, 
gravely  took  the  extended  hand  of  Radis- 
son and  made  reply  in  very  good  English, 
to  my  surprise. 

"  Brave  Heart  has  not  forgotten  the 
Eagle,  although  his  young  men  know  him 
not,  and  the  winters  have  left  their  snows 
on  his  hair.  Will  the  Eagle  and  his  chil- 
dren go  to  the  post  with  us  ?" 

At  this  Radisson  broke  into  a  strange 
tongue  and  I  could  make  nothing  of  the 
talk  that  ensued.  Ruth  had  come  to  my 
side  and  was  watching  the  red  men  some- 
what fearfully,  while  in  their  turn  they 
bestowed  open  admiration  upon  her.  Soon 
they  came  forward  and  bunched  around 
the  fire  while  they  talked.  After  a  little 
Radisson  turned  to  me,  and  spoke  rapidly, 
in  French. 

"  Davie,  these  be  men  of  the  Chippewa 
nation,  who  will  take  us  to  the  fort.  On 
your  life  speak  not  in  English  of  Gib !" 

While  I  was  puzzling  over  this  com- 
mand, Ruth  had  turned  to  the  speaker. 

"  But  why  do  you  go  thither?  she 
asked  anxiously.  "  Surely  you  could  send 
us  with — " 

"  Nay,  daughter,"  replied  the  old  wan- 
derer, "  these  are  not  to  be  trusted, 
although  they  fear  to  deceive  or  harm  me. 
Say  no  more,  for  we  go  to  the  post." 

He  drew  a  deep  breath,  then  took  one  of 
our  fusils  and  presented  it  to  the  chief, 
Brave  Heart.  The  gift  was  received  with 
a  murmur  of  joy,  and  although  I  could 
make  nothing  of  the  words,  the  eyes  of 
the  six  Indians  betrayed  the  fierce  delight 
in  their  hearts  at  the  gift.  But  there  was 
no  gratitude  mingled  with  that  delight,  and 
as  they  sat  and  eyed  the  gift  methought  I 
could  see  the  murder-lust  in  their  glances. 
It  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  the  Ad- 


venturers to  whose  post  we  were  going, 
have  done  little  good;  for  in  all  that  land 
north  of  New  France  they  have  but  taught 
the  red  men  to  slay  and  slay  for  skins,  and 
mingled  little  enough  of  the  word  of  God 
with  the  word  of  man.  Howbeit,  to  my 
story. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  detail  the 
strange  customs  and  sights  which  Ruth  and 
I  saw  during  the  next  few  days  and  nights 
while  we  paddled  up  that  river.  To  others 
they  might  not  seem  so  strange  as  they  did 
to  us,  and  moreover  I  have  greater  things 
to  tell  of  which  befell  later.  Soan-ge-ta-ha, 
or  Brave  Heart,  had  known  Radisson  both 
as  friend  and  foe,  years  before,  and  very 
plainly  held  the  old  man  in  vast  respect 
and  fear. 

For  two  days  we  ascended  the  river, 
then  came  a  portage  where  the  canoes 
and  furs  were  carried  for  a  mile  or  more 
to  another  stream,  which  we  descended  this 
time.  On  the  third  day  we  met  another 
party  of  four  natives,  also  Chippewas,  who 
exchanged  words  with  Brave  Heart,  greeted 
us  with  a  mingling  of  fear  and  awe,  and 
pushed  on  ahead. 

"  They  cannot  understand  it,"  laughed 
Radisson  in  French,  which  these  others 
knew  not.  "  They  have  seen  no  ship  along 
the  coast  and  are  beginning  to  think  the 
Great  Spirit  dropped  us  here  from  the  sky." 

I  marveled  at  the  credulity  of  the  poor 
creatures,  and  suggested  that  it  was  wrong 
so  to  deceive  them,  whereat  Radisson 
looked  queerly  at  me.  As  Ruth  failed  to 
agree,  I  dropped  the  subject  for  the  time, 
although  I  liked  not  to  continue  in  such 
standing,  which  to  my  mind  savored  of 
deceit  and  well-nigh  blasphemy.  By  this 
you  may  see  that  I  was  no  little  changed 
from  the  young  lout  who  had  slipped  out 
of  the  Purple  Heather  at  Rathesby  to  skip 
the  prayers — as  well  I  might  be,  after  the 
horror  of  that  voyage  and  its  ending. 

We  traveled  each  in  a  separate  canoe, 
seeinsr  little  of  each  other  save  at  the  halt- 


42 


THE  CONQUEST: 


ing  places.  On  one  of  these  occasions 
Radisson  told  me  why  he  had  ordered  no 
mention  made  of  Gib.  It  seemed  that  the 
fellow  was  of  no  little  reputation  among  the 
Chippewas,  even  as  was  Radisson  among 
other  tribes,  and  if  his  return  to  the  New 
World  were  known  things  might  go  ill. 

Ruth  made  light  of  the  hardships  of 
those  first  days,  although  Brave  Heart's 
men  treated  her  with  all  consideration. 
Both  she  and  I  gained  some  slight  knowl- 
edge of  the  art  of  paddling,  and  I  found 
that  the  scurvy  had  altogether  disappeared, 
whereat  I  thanked  God  most  fervently. 

It  seemed  that  the  Chippewa  chief,  Soan- 
ge-ta-ha,  was  one  of  the  greatest  among  his 
own  people.  He  was  not  so  old  as  Radis- 
son, but  his  face  held  a  stern,  implacable 
aspect  which  at  times  set  me  athrill  with 
fear  of  the  man.  I  prayed  that  we  might 
never  have  him  to  face  as  an  enemy,  nor 
at  that  time  did  such  an  event  seem 
probable. 

And  as  we  paddled  I  grew  ever  more 
amazed  at  the  great  size  of  this  new  land, 
which  seemed  to  have  neither  limit  nor 
end.  On  we  went,  crossing  from  one 
stream  to  another.  We  had  been  with  the 
six  Chippewas  for  eight  days,  and  on  the 
fifth  day  after  meeting  the  four  others 
Soan-ge-ta-ha  announced  the  post  was  only 
three  days'  journey  off.  Of  this  we  were 
right  glad,  and  if  Radisson  felt  in  any 
other  wise  he  gave  no  sign. 

But  we  were  not  destined  to  accom- 
pany the  six  farther,  for  here  happened 
one  of  those  wonderful  things  which 
showed  ever  more  plainly  that  the  hand  of 
God  was  over  us,  guiding  and  protecting 
us  from  hidden  dangers.  We  had  just 
made  ready  to  embark  when  Soan-ge-ta-ha 
lifted  his  hand  in  a  warning  gesture,  and 
Grim  gave  a  low  growl.  As  he  did  so, 
the  bushes  on  the  farther  side  of  our  camp- 
ing-place parted,  and  out  stepped  two  men. 

But  what  men  they  were  !  Ruth  gave  a 
little  cry  and  settled  back  within  my  arm. 


while  the  Chippewas  emitted  a  grunt  of 
surprise.  Both  the  men  were  Indians — 
just  such  savages  as  Radisson  had  de- 
scribed to  us  while  on  the  "  Lass."  Nake:l 
to  the  waist  like  our  own  six,  the  face  and 
breast  of  each  was  hideously  painted  with 
red  and  white  paint,  and  they  wore  panta- 
loons of  skin,  beaded  and  fringed  won- 
drously.  Each  was  taller  than  the  average 
man,  and  their  heads  were  in  part  shaven 
so  that  a  single  long  lock  of  hair  was  left, 
and  in  this  were  twisted  eagle  feathers. 
As  they  came  closer  I  saw  that  for  all 
their  sturdiness  these  were  old  men,  in 
years  if  not  in  vigor.  They  carried  no 
muskets,  but  at  their  belts  were  hatchets 
and  knives.  For  an  instant  we  all  stared 
as  if  rooted  to  the  ground,  then  to  my  utter 
amazement  Radisson  leaped  forward  and 
threw  his  arms  about  the  first  savage. 

"  My  brother — my  brother !"  he  cried 
out  in  French,  all  his  heart  in  his  voice. 
"Am  I  dreaming  or  bewitched?  Can  this 
thing  be  possible?"  He  turned  and  caught 
the  other  likewise.  "  And  you,  Swift  Ar- 
row— is  it  you  or  some  ghost  of  the  olden 
days?" 

As  if  this  were  not  surprise  enough  for 
me,  these  grave  painted  savages  of  the 
New  World  made  dignified  response  in 
French.  Nay,  it  was  poor  French  enough, 
yet  Ruth  and  I  could  sense  it  with  ease. 

"  Now  are  we  indeed  happy,"  spoke  the 
older  of  the  two,  paying  no  heed  to  us  who 
watched  in  amazement.  '"My  brother, 
many  snows  ago  you  left  us.  We  heard 
that  you  had  gone  to  the  Great  Father 
across  the  big  water.  Then  it  was  borne 
to  us  that  you  were  far  in  the  north,  here 
among  the  snows. 

"  My  brother,  our  lodges  were  empty. 
We  mourned  for  you  in  the  Long  House 
among  the  Nations.  There  was  no  war 
among  us  and  we  grew  old.  So  we  bade 
our  people  farewell  and  left  the  land  of 
the  Long  House  to  seek  you.  My  brother, 
we  have  found  you,  and  we  thank  the 


THE    CONQUEST. 


43 


Great  Spirit.  We,  who  were  young  to- 
gether, shall  grow  old  together  and  travel 
the  Ghost-trail  together.  I,  Ta-cha-noon- 
tia  the  Black  Prince,  Keeper  of  the  Eastern 
Door,  have  said  it." 

For  an  instant  there  was  a  tense  silence. 
I  did  not  realize  what  the  speech  por- 
tended, but  I  could  see  Radisson's  face, 
and  I  watched  it  glow  in  the  morning  sun 
until  it  seemed  as  if  youth  had  once  more 
touched  it  lightly  for  an  instant,  so  glori- 
fied was  it.  Then  Soan-ge-ta-ha  made  a 
step  forward,  for  he  knew  no  French. 

"  Who  are  these  ?"  he  asked,  sweeping 
a  hand  toward  the  strangers  with  a  frown. 
"  What  do  they  in  the  country  of  the 
Chippewas?" 

The  pair  seemed  to  sense  the  spirit  of 
the  words  if  not  their  meaning,  for  they 
drew  themselves  up  proudly  and  topped 
the  Chippewas  by  a  head.  It  was  Radisson 
who  made  hasty  answer. 

"  These  are  brothers  of  mine  from  the 
far  south,  Brave  Heart.  They  came  in 
search  of  me,  and  are  on  no  war  trail." 
He  turned  and  addressed  the  two  in  a 
strange,  gutteral  tongue.  They  made  an- 
swer with  a  few  gestures.  I  saw  Radisson 
cast  a  quick  look  at  me;  there  was  that  in 
his  face  which  spelled  danger.  Therewith 
he  turned  to  the  Chippewas  again. 

"  Soan-ge-ta-ha  has  been  generous  to  his 
friends,  as  befits  a  great  chief,  and  we 
thank  him.  Let  him  keep  our  gifts  in 
token  of  friendship,  for  we  may  go  no  far- 
ther with  him.  We  depart  from  this  place 
with  these  my  brothers." 

The  Chippewas  glanced  at  the  two  im- 
passive figures,  and  there  was  greed  in 
their  eyes  as  they  took  in  the  exquisite 
garments,  the  fine  weapons,  the — ah,  what 
was  that  dark  line  fringing  the  belts  ? 
Radisson  had  told  me  of  the  strange  cus- 
tom of  wearing  an  enemy's  hair,  and  I 
turned  away  my  eyes  as  I  recognized  only 
too  plainly  the  scalps  that  fringed  the  gir- 
dles of  these  two  old  strangers. 


Soan-ge-ta-ha  eyed  Radisson  for  an  in- 
stant. Perhaps  he  had  a  conflicting  mind, 
but  if  so  he  thought  better  of  it,  for  he  only 
nodded  and  spoke  briefly  to  his  warriors. 
These,  without  a  word  to  us,  leaped  into 
the  loaded  canoes,  and  with  a  last  wave 
from  the  chief  the  six  pushed  off  into  the 
stream. 

"  What  did  he  say  ?"  spoke  up  Ruth  hur- 
riedly. "Why  is  this?  Be  these  men 
going  to  take  us  to  the  post?" 

Radisson  came  and  took  her  hand,  speak- 
ing in  English. 

"  My  child,  these  men  have  done  what 
few  had  dared  attempt — they  have  come 
here  from  below  the  Canadas.  far  to  the 
south,  in  search  of  me.  They  belong  to  the 
Mohawk  nation,  the  greatest  tribe  of  the 
Iroquois,  and  long  ago  I  lived  with  them 
and  loved  them.  Ruth,  these  are  two  great 
men  in  their  own  land,  famous  both  of 
them — they — they — 

Here  his  emotion  choked  him,  for  he 
turned  his  face  away  and  I  saw  a  tear  upon 
his  white  beard.  After  a  moment  he 
caught  my  hand  with  Ruth's  and  turned 
about.  Now  he  spoke  in  French. 

"  Ta-cha-noon-tia,  Black  Prince,  you  who 
ward  the  Eastern  Door  of  the  Long  House 
of  the  Five  Nations,  and  you,  Ca-yen-gui- 
nano.  Great  Swift  Arrow,  I  give  into  your 
friendship  and  protection  this  young  man, 
who  is  as  mine  own  son,  and  this  girl,  who 
is  the  daughter  of  mine  own  sister." 

And  at  that  Ruth  gave  a  great  cry  and 
caught  Radisson  by  the  hands,  staring  at 
him  wildly. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    KEEPER    AND    THE    ARROW. 


"W 


HAT    mean     you  ?"     she    broke 
forth,     searching     his     smiling 
face.     Is   this  a  jest,  sir?     Or 
do  vou  reallv  know — " 


44 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"My  child,"  and  Radisson  caught  her  to 
him,  touching  her  brow  with  his  lips,  "  it 
is  no  jest.  But  \ve  are  in  grave  danger 
here.  Come,  greet  these  noblest  of  men, 
and  let  us  begone.  The  tale  I  will  give 
you  in  full  at  the  first  chance." 

Both  the  two  Mohawks  and  I  had 
looked  on  at  this  scene  with  no  little  be- 
wilderment. But  as  Ruth  obeyed  him  and 
turned  to  them  with  a  puzzled  smile,  the 
elder,  whom  we  came  to  know  as  the 
Keeper,  stepped  forward  and  caught  her 
band  to  his  lips  in  right  courtly  fashion — 
doubtless  learned  at  Montreal. 

"  The  Yellow  Lily  need  fear  not,  for  we 
are  brothers  of  the  White  Eagle,"  and  he 
glanced  at  Radisson.  then  turned  to  me. 
His  black  eyes  glittered  intensely  as  they 
swept  over  me.  but  it  was  his  companion, 
the  Arrow,  who  spoke.  Doubtless  he  put 
his  Mohawk  thought  into  French  speech, 
for  the  words  were  abrupt. 

''  The  young  man  with  brave  eyes  is 
good  to  look  upon.  He  is  our  brother." 

"  Then  we  will  care  for  the  Yellow  Lily 
together."  I  smiled  at  Ruth,  using  the  name 
they  had  bestowed  upon  her.  This  pleased 
them  hugely,  and  a  smile  flickered  across 
their  dark  faces.  Presently  they  and 
Radisson  were  chattering  in  the  strange 
tongue,  and  when  he  turned  to  us  there  was 
doubt  in  his  strong  face,  for  once. 

"  My  children,  we  are  in  a  narrow  path. 
These  twain  have  lived  for  two  years 
among  the  Cree  people,  daily  waiting  my 
coming.  But  a  few  days  since  they  had 
journeyed  to  the  post.  Gib,  Eoghan  and 
Black  Michael  had  arrived  in  the  boat.  No 
sooner  was  their  story  told  than  men  were 
sent  out  in  all  directions  in  search  of  us, 
while  among  the  Chippewas  a  price  was 
set  on  our  heads  in  beads  and  blankets. 

"  What !"  I  cried  indignantly.  "  Would 
they  dare — " 

"  Peace,  lad.  You  know  not  all  the  tale, 
and  it  is  too  long  to  be  told  here.  There 
is  no  law  in  these  parts  save  that  of  the 


strongest,  and  the  Keeper  and  the  Arrow 
set  forth  to  find  us.  Fortunately,  Soan-ge- 
ta-ha  had  not  heard  the  news,  else  he  had 
not  let  us  go  so  easily.  As  I  will  explain 
later,  it  is  impossible  for  Ruth  to  seek  the 
post.  The  only  thing  left  us  is  to  go 
with  my  friends  here  and  find  refuge 
among  the  Crees  to  the  west.  There  we 
shall  be  safe,  for  the  Crees  are  old  friends 
of  mine.  The  Mohawks  have  two  canoes 
hidden  a  few  miles  from  here.  Let  us  go 
on  with  them,  and  we  can  take  to  the 
water  on  another  river.  This  will  throw 
off  any  pursuers  until  we  can  find  shelter 
among  friends." 

"  I  glanced  at  Ruth,  despair  in  my  eyes. 
She  read  the  look  and  came  to  me,  putting 
her  hand  on  my  arm. 

"  Davie,  dear,  there  is  naught  else  to  do. 
Have  no  fear  for  me,  but  let  us  trust  in 
God.  Remember,  we  have  much  to  talk 
of  and  we  do  not  know  all  that  has  passed. 
Are  you  willing  to  go  into  the  wilderness 
with  us?" 

"  Willing?"  J  burst  out,  seizing  her  hand. 
"  Aye,  for  myself  I  care  naught,  Ruth,  but 
for  you — is  there  no  other  way?" 

"  There  is  no  other  way,  my  son,"  re- 
turned Radisson  gravely. 

"  Then  let  us  go  forth  and  seek  what 
may  betide,"  I  answered  bitterly. 

There  was  no  time  lost.  Our  few  be- 
longings were  all  ready,  and  we  set  out 
after  Radisson  who  followed  in  the  steps 
of  the  Keeper.  As  for  the  Arrow,  he 
melted  into  the  bushes  and  was  gone — to 
scout  for  danger  and  to  meet  us  at  the 
canoes,  explained  the  old  wanderer. 

That  march  through  the  forest  was  one 
of  no  little  hardship  for  all  of  us.  but  more 
especially  for  Ruth  and  me.  There  was 
danger  all  about  us,  for  at  any  moment 
we  might  come  upon  parties  of  Chippewas 
who  were  even  then  searching  the  forest 
for  trace  of  us.  I  walked  along  as  one 
in  a  maze,  and  in  truth  my  poor  brain 
was  all  bewildered. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


45 


"  What  was  the  meaning  of  this  strange 
meeting  with  the  two  Mohawks  ?  And 
Radisson's  words  to  them — was  Ruth  in- 
deed his  niece?  That  was  hardly  to  be 
credited,  methought,  for  why  had  he  said 
no  word  to  us  before?  And  in  any  case, 
he  could  know  no  more  of  the  maid  than 
did  I,  who  had  lived  all  my  life  beside  her. 
None  the  less,  the  matter  troubled  me. 

In  point  of  distance  we  had  not  far  to  go, 
but  the  difficulties  of  the  savage  forest 
beset  us  sorely.  Ruth  had  much  ado  to 
prevent  her  skirts  being  torn  by  thorns  and 
jagged  branches.  At  one  time  we  would 
be  pushing  through  thick-grown  saplings, 
and  at  another  leaping  from  tussock  to  tus- 
sock of  swamp-grass.  The  Keeper  and 
Radisson,  better  accustomed  to  such  places, 
moved  like  shadows ;  but  had  there  been 
any  foe  near,  my  crashing  must  have  be- 
trayed our  presence  beyond  a  doubt. 

Yet  all  things  draw  to  an  end,  and  the 
end  of  our  journey  was  a  clear,  open  lake 
of  good  size.  Not  a  hundred  yards  from 
where  we  emerged,  The  Arrow  stood  wait- 
ing beside  the  shore,  and  at  his  feet  were 
two  canoes.  Here  was  a  new  wonder  to 
me,  that  the  Keeper  should  have  guided  us 
so  surely  through  those  trackless  woods 
to  the  side  of  his  comrade. 

But  Ruth  was  fain  for  rest,  and  so  was 
I.  We  sank  down  beside  the  canoes,  and 
here  Radisson  joined  us. 

"  Now,"  he  said  with  a  certain  vigor 
and  spring  in  his  voice  which  was  new  to 
me.  "  I  will  explain  things  to  you,  my 
children.  In  the  first  place,  you  are  verily 
my  sister's  daughter,  Ruth.  It  was  nigh 
twenty  years  ago  that  I  left  her  in 
Montreal,  new-married  to  the  Sieur  de 
Courbelles,  and  my  last  gift  to  her  was 
that  brooch  you  wear  at  your  throat. 
See — those  are  mine  own  arms  upon  it ! 
Then  I  left  New  France,  but  she,  with 
her  husband,  was  to  join  me  in  London 
town.  I  never  heard  word  of  her  again, 
my  child ;  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  their 


ship  was  driven  far  north  and  you  alone 
were  saved." 

He  paused  a  space,  and  I  saw  that 
Ruth's  own  little  fingers  had  stolen  out 
to  grasp  his.  But  here  there  came  a  great 
light  to  me. 

"  Then,"  I  exclaimed,  "  was  that  why 
Gib  o'  Clarclach  was  so  hasty  after  Ruth? 
Nay,  but  it  could  hardly  have  been  so,  for 
he  had  scarce  recognized  that  little 
brooch !" 

"  Not  that,  David,"  smiled  the  old  man, 
"  but  he  knew  the  arms  right  well,  and 
doubtless  he  also  knew  the  tale  of  my  sis- 
ter and  her  loss  by  shipwreck.  I  must 
tell  you,  lad,  that  the  man  who  you  know 
as  Gib,  whom  I  know  as  Jean  Lareau, 
whom  the  Indians  hereabouts  know  to 
their  cost  as  The  Pike,  is  an  agent  of 
France — a  spy,  who  serves  France  or 
England  according  as  he  is  best  paid.  No 
one  knows,  or  ever  will  know,  just  who 
his  masters  are.  So  you  see,  lad,  that  if 
he  could  lay  hold  on  the  maid  and  fetch 
her  to  Paris,  they  might  get  me  into  their 
clutches  again  right  easily." 

"  But  not  that !"  I  exclaimed  angrily. 
"  Frenchmen  would  never  dare  go  to  such 
extremes  with  a  maid  of  good  birth — " 

Radisson's  face  went  black.  "No? 
Wait  till  you  know  them  as  I  do,  the 
Jesuit  dogs  !  If  you  want  the  truth  of  it, 
that  man  Gib  is  no  man  of  France  so 
much  as  he  is  a  paid  spy  of  the  Order — 
the  Order  that  has  hounded  me,  stolen  the 
credit  of  discoveries,  sent  forth  its  men 
in  my  place  to  gain  mine  honor,  and  at  the 
last  tried  to  steal  this  child  of  my  blood  !" 

And  therewith  he  went  on  to  tell  me 
things  I  had  not  dreamed  possible.  He 
told  of  his  long  trips  through  the  wilder- 
ness, of  how  he  had  found  the  "  Father 
of  Waters,"  how  his  reports  had  been 
stolen  and  altered,  his  furs  stolen  from 
him,  and  how  on  the  strength  of  his  labors 
the  Jesuits  had  sent  out  men  of  their  order 
to  take  the  credit  for  his  work. 


46 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  But  why  ?"  asked  Ruth  with  wonder- 
ing eyes.  "  Why  should  they  do  this 
thing?  Surely  there  are  honorable  and 
good  men  among — " 

"  Aye,  lass,  there  are,"  Radisson  made 
quick  response.  "  But  the  reason  for  it  is 
simply  that  I  am  none  of  their  faith. 
When  a  lad  I  was  taken  by  the  Mohawks 
and  grew  up  among  them.  Then  I  re- 
turnee! to  mine  own  people,  but  I  never 
forgot  my  adopted  nation.  On  all  my  trips 
I  carried  Iroquois  with  me.  The  Arrow 
here  went  to  the  Detroit  with  me  years 
before  the  settlement  was  founded  there. 
The  Keeper  was  behind  me  when  the 
Sioux  people  saw  their  first  white  face, 
and  when  I  was  led  to  the  great  river  in 
the  South/' 

With  that  our  conversation  was  ended, 
for  The  Arrow  approached  and  warned  us 
thr.t  the  day  was  drawing  on  apace.  We 
made  a  light  meal  oft  some  dried  venison, 
after  which  we  embarked  in  the  canoes. 
In  one  went  The  Arrow.  Ruth  and  I,  while 
The  Keeper  and  Radisson -embarked  in  the 
other,  and  we  followed  in  their  course 
across  the  lake  to  the  mouth  of  a  little 
river  that  flowed  westward. 

So  it  came  about  that  I  set  my  back 
toward  my  own  people.  I  sat  in  the  bow, 
The  Arrow  in  the  stern.  Whiles  we  pad- 
dled, and  whiles  floated  where  the  river 
was  more  rapid,  but  Ruth  talked  ever  with 
us.  I  could  hear  her  chattering  with  the 
stolid  man  in  the  stern,  who  seemed  to 
waken  into  life  at  her  words,  and  so  we 
gained  some  knowledge  of  these  two 
strange  Indians  and  their  ways. 

Of  the  Iroquois  confederacy  Radisson 
had  already  told  us  much,  and  of  their 
Long  House,  which  was  not  unlike  the 
Houses  of  Parliament  in  London  town. 
Here  the  Five  Nations  sent  their  delegates 
to  make  laws  and  give  judgments,  and  the 
highest  chief  of  each  nation  kept  the  doors. 
The  Mohawks,  who  lived  farther  east  than 
the  rest,  held  the  eastern  door  of  that 


savage  parliament,  which  fact  had  given 
the  Black  Prince  his  title.  I  wondered  at 
his  name  being  the  same  as  that  of  a  for- 
mer prince  of  England,  but  the  reason 
therefor  I  never  knew. 

As  we  wended  on  our  way  my  gloom 
began  to  drop  from  me.  I  realized  how 
Radisson  felt,  and  the  fact  that  before  us 
lay  a  great  new  land  where  no  white  man 
was,  thrilled  me  to  the  marrow.  I  drew 
the  good  free  air  deep  into  my  lungs  and 
put  away  all  thought  of  that  villain  Gib  o' 
Clarclach ;  all  these  plottings  were  left 
behind  us,  and  only  the  open  country  and 
friends  lay  before.  What  if  these  friends 
were  red?  From  the  talk  of  The  Arrow, 
red  friends  were  as  good  as  or  better  than 
white. 

Since  then  I  have  realized  more  truly 
just  what  that  terrible  journey  from  the 
Canadas  had  meant  for  the  two  Mohawks. 
Alone  and  unaided  they  had  traversed  a 
wilderness  of  foes  to  find  the  man  they  loved 
as  brother.  When  they  came  to  the  Cree 
people  they  chanced  upon  traces  of  him, 
Radisson  being  well  known  to  the  Crees, 
and  for  his  sake  the  strangers  had  been 
taken  in  and  provided  for.  Their  prowess 
soon  made  them  great  men  among  the 
Crees,  whose  customs  were  not  so  very 
different,  though  less  bloody ;  and  during 
the  two  years  they  had  spent,  waiting  for 
Radisson  with  a  firm  faith  in  his  coming, 
their  position  had  been  firmly  established. 
All  these  things  came  to  me  not  at  once, 
but  slowly,  during  the  many  days  we  pad- 
dled on,  heading  toward  the  west,  and  then 
to  the  north.  Our  way  was  slow,  because 
on  the  third  day  one  of  the  canoes  was 
ripped  on  a  rock  and  we  had  to  wait  for 
a  hasty  patching.  The  weather  was  very 
warm  indeed,  but  cold  at  night. 

So  it  came  about  that  when  pursuit  had 
been  left  far  behind,  we  were  in  the  Bar- 
ren Places,  as  The  Keeper  named  them. 
And  they  deserved  the  name,  being  of 
swamp  and  scrub  trees  and  thickets  of 


THE    CONQUEST. 


47 


saplings ;  but  of  game  there  was  plenty. 
In  this  place  came  the  danger  to  Ruth,  and 
here  we  first  encountered  the  Mighty  One, 
of  whom  I  will  have  great  things  to  tell  in 
their  own  place. 

One  morning  Ruth  and  I  had  left  the 
camp  for  an  early  ramble.  I  took  a  fusil, 
thinking  to  kill  a  deer  or  caribou.  We 
climbed  a  little  hill  above  the  camp  and 
entered  the  thicker  woods,  where  after  a 
while  we  became  separated,  Ruth  halting 
beside  some  bushes  of  berries,  very  good  to 
the  taste.  I  was  perhaps  a  hundred  yards 
from  her  when  I  heard  a  sudden  cry. 

Whirling  about,  I  saw  a  wondrous  beast 
plunging  toward  the  lass.  Of  monstrous 
build  he  was,  with  huge  shoulders  and  head, 
while  great  splay-horns  added  to  his  fright- 
ful mien.  In  terror,  Ruth  made  shift  to 
get  behind  a  tree,  while  the  monster  stood 
shaking  his  head  and  striking  the  earth 
with  his  hoofs. 

I  had  been  so  startled  that  for  a 
moment  I  forgot  my  fusil.  Never  had  I 
dreamed  of  so  huge  a  beast !  I  shouted 
at  him  and  ran  forward,  whereat  he  came 
at  me  speedily.  Ruth  cried  out  again,  and 
in  mighty  fear  I  raised  my  weapon,  think- 
ing to  see  fire  come  from  his  nostrils  at 
any  moment,  for  I  took  him  as  little  less 
than  the  fiend  himself. 

But  now  he  had  turned  again  to  Ruth, 
and  the  little  maid  was  barely  keeping  the 
tree  between  them.  In  desperation,  I 
poured  fresh  powder  in  the  pan  and  aimed 
again.  This  time  the  weapon  spoke,  and 
the  added  powder  sent  me  backward  to 
the  ground  with  the  recoil.  Those  mighty 
horns  seemed  to  shoot  forward  and  up, 
the  huge  body  rose  in  air,  and  the  next 
I  knew  was  that  the  terrible  beast  was 
standing  over  me,  scraping  at  me  with 
his  horns.  Fortunately,  they  seemed  soft, 
like  those  of  a  deer  in  summer,  and  I  beat 
frantically  at  his  enormous  nose.  An  in- 
stant later  I  gripped  the  horns. 

With   this,   the   monster   lifted   his   head 


and  me  with  it.  I  gave  myself  up  for 
lost  as  he  pressed  me  back  into  a  tree, 
snorting  and  grunting,  but  I  hung  on 
grimly  enough,  for  I  feared  the  sharp 
hoofs. 

"  Run !"  I  cried  to  Ruth,  whom  I  could 
not  see.  "  Run,  Ruth  !" 

I  felt  my  strength  going  fast.  Now  the 
beast  had  pushed  me  in  through  the 
branches  and  was  striving  to  grind  me 
against  the  tree-trunk  itself.  Vainly  did 
I  writhe  and  twist  away,  for  those  huge 
horns  swung  and  slashed  at  me,  and  had 
they  been  hard  I  had  died  in  that  moment. 
As  it  was,  I  felt  my  ribs  crushed  in,  then  a 
terrific  pain  shot  through  me,  and  my  grip 
loosened. 

But  even  as  I  fell  back,  a  wild  yell 
sounded  in  my  ears,  and  a  blast  of  pow- 
der-smoke swept  by  my  face.  The  massy 
horns  were  gone,  and  I  scraped  back 
against  the  tree  and  came  to  the  ground, 
helpless  and  broken. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

IN  THE  VILLAGES  OF  THE  CREES. 

WHAT  happened  after  that  was  of 
little  interest  to  me.  I  have  brief, 
fitful  memories  of  things  that  oc- 
curred at  intervals,  for  as  I  later  learned 
from  Ruth,  my  hurts  were  very  sore  in- 
deed, and  more  than  once  they  had  given 
me  up  for  dead.  But  for  The  Keeper  and 
for  Radisson  himself,  who  searched  through 
the  woods  for  healing  simples  and  herbs 
at  each  camping-place,  I  had  been  in  sorry 
plight. 

I  mind  me  of  many  days  of  travel,  during 
no  small  part  of  which  I  was  lashed  tightly 
enough  to  the  canoe.  At  times  Ruth's  face 
would  be  above  me,  her  fingers  sweeping 
my  brow,  and  at  times  Radisson's  kindly 
white  beard  would  bend  over  me  and  his 


48 


THE    CONQUEST. 


fingers,  for  all  their  sinewy  strength,  were 
as  tender  as  those  of  Ruth. 

That  was  a  dour  and  terrible  journey. 
Even  now,  as  I  sit  writing  and  gazing 
over  the  moors  that  roll  upland  beyond 
Ayrby,  I  can  feel  the  throbs  of  pain  across 
my  ribs,  and  the  hurt  of  the  thwart  against 
my  back.  And  in  the  damp  weather  the 
feeling  is  no  mere  imagination,  either. 

I  remember,  after  many  days  of  flick- 
ering lights  and  shadows,  there  came  one 
time  when  Ruth's  tears  fell  on  my  cheeks 
and  irritated  me  strangely.  Perhaps  the 
lass  did  not  know  I  was  conscious,  for 
I  could  speak  no  word.  I  heard  Radisson 
attempt  to  cheer  her.  and  it  seemed  that 
he,  too,  had  lost  his  heartiness.  Then 
they  died  away  into  blackness  once  more, 
and  the  next  memory  is  of  the  Crees. 

Queer  men  they  were,  queer  people, 
moving  like  the  veriest  devils  through  my 
half-sensed  dreams,  although  they  were 
our  firmest  friends.  Radisson  to  them  was 
a  deity,  and  the  two  Mohawks  were  little 
less.  They  were  great  hunters  and  fight- 
ers, however,  and  when  my  mind  came 
back  to  me  somewhat  I  never  lacked  for 
meat  and  broth,  while  skins  of  the  richest 
were  ours  in  plenty. 

When  I  came  to  learn  of  the  journey, 
after  I  had  been  injured,  it  was  a  tale 
of  hardship  and  suffering — incurred  for 
the  most  part  on  my  account.  To  move 
a  helpless  man  across  the  wilderness  is  a 
task  for  the  mightiest,  and  our  little  party 
had  been  sore  put  to  it  ere  a  party  of 
the  Crees  found  us  and  aided  us  to  their 
villages. 

I  came  to  my  clear  senses  one  day,  at 
last,  to  find  a  great  weight  lying  upon  me. 
and  all  dark  around.  I  put  up  my  hand 
to  remove  the  weight  and  found  that  it 
was  the  skin  of  some  beast,  yet  I  could 
not  so  much  as  lift  it.  By  this  I  knew 
I  must  be  very  sick  and  weak,  and  for  a 
space  the  knowledge  frighted  me  oddly. 

Suddenly  light  appeared  to  one  side,  and 


I  saw  I  was  lying  in  a  conical  shelter,  like 
a  tent,  and  that  Ruth  stood  in  the  door- 
way. I  called  to  her  weakly  enough. 

"  Eh,   lassie !      Come  and   help  me." 

She  gave  a  little  cry  and  dropped  on 
her  knees  at  my  side.  But  she  would  not 
take  the  fur  away,  whereat  I  wondered. 
Xor  would  she  let  me  talk,  but  told  me 
of  the  journey  and  of  where  we  now  were. 

To  my  utter  amazement  I  found  that  I 
had  been  sick,  not  for  days,  but  for  long 
weeks.  It  was  a  good  month  and  more 
that  I  had  lain  in  this  shelter,  in  the  Cree 
village,  and  near  two  months  since  we 
had  met  the  moose.  The  first  snow  had 
come  upon  the  land,  and  the  days  and 
nights  were  bitter  cold. 

In  the  lodge  next  to  mine  dwelt  Ruth, 
and  beyond  that  Radisson  and  the  Mo- 
hawks. There  was  a  tale  to  be  told  of 
great  wonders,  of  things  and  beasts  and 
men  such  as  we  had  never  dreamed  of  in 
the  old  days  at  Ayrby  farm.  I  listened 
half-believing,  and  before  she  had  finished 
dropped  into  a  deep,  pleasant  sleep. 

Through  the  days  that  followed  I  be- 
gan to  adjust  myself  somewhat  to  the  new 
life  about  me.  The  Crees — dark,  dirty 
men  who  wore  skins — were  kind  enough 
and  treated  me  with  not  only  respect  but 
even  deference.  For  some  time  I  was  at 
a  loss  to  account  for  this.  I  presently 
came  to  understand  that  I  was  looked  upon 
as  a  great  man,  greater  even  than  the  two 
Mohawks,  which  surprised  me  and  trou- 
bled me  no  little.  It  is  not  right  and  just 
that  a  man  should  be  so  treated  by  his  fel- 
lows unless  he  has  proved  himself  greater 
than  they,  and  the  worship  of  these  poor 
heathen  creatures  worried  me  mightily. 

Radisson  spent  long  hours  with  me. 
talking  and  explaining  the  things  all  around. 
Our  fusils  he  had  carefully  oiled  and  laid 
aside,  for  it  seemed  that  the  Crees  had 
never  heard  the  sound  of  a  gun.  and  the 
time  might  come  when  an  appeal  to  their 
superstition  would  do  wonders. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


49 


"But  is  that  right?"  I  asked  doubtfully. 
"  Methinks  it  would  be  more  Christian  in 
us  to  help  the  poor  creatures  to  understand, 
than  to  try  and  shock  them  into  thinking 
us  men  of  another  world." 

"  Why,  so  we  are,"  smiled  Radisson. 
"  You  see,  Davie,  we  are  like  to  be  safe 
for  the  present,  until  the  deep  snows  come. 
Then  we  can  look  for  trouble.  I  have 
sent  out  runners  to  the  east  and  south,  for 
it  seems  to  me  that  the  English  around 
the  Bay  will  not  rest  until  they  get  news  of 
me.  The  Chippewa  nation  is  always  war- 
ring against  the  Crees,  and  like  enough 
The  Pike  will  lead  them.  Our  friend  is 
a  subtle,  crafty  fellow  and  will  halt  at 
nothing. 

"  As  for  your  fears  in  the  matter  of 
religion,  Davie,  you  had  best  forget  them. 
We  can  live  down  to  their  standard,  as 
does  The  Pike,  or  up  to  our  standard,  as 
I  have  ever  done.  I  have  no  great  wish  to 
preach  to  them,  for  their  faith  is  good 
enough,  but  do  you  suit  yourself  in  that 
regard.  It  may  be  that  God  has  not  brought 
us  here  for  nothing,  and  it  is  far  from  my 
thought  to  thwart  His  will." 

As  the  time  went  by  I  grew  stronger, 
walking  about  the  village  on  the  arm  of 
Ruth  and  coming  to  understand  more  and 
more  the  people  among  whom  we  were. 
Having  little  else  to  do,  I  took  to  learning 
their  tongue  from  a  chief  named  Uchichak, 
or  The  Crane.  He  was  a  fine,  upright, 
silent  man  of  good  parts,  and  as  I  came  to 
speak  the  language  a  little,  I  told  him  of 
the  true  God.  But  at  this  he  would  ever 
fall  silent,  gazing  into  the  fire  and  saying 
no  word,  so  that  I  deemed  my  talk  but 
wasted. 

The  Keeper  and  The  Arrow  were  but  in- 
different Christians,  having  been  converted 
years  before  by  the  French,  and  their  faith 
was  a  mixture  of  heathenism  and  religion 
which  was  strange  to  see.  Once  I  protested 
with  The  Keeper  about  taking  scalps, 
whereat  he  silenced  me  deftly  and  firmly. 


"  Brave  Eyes  " — for  such  was  the  name 
I  now  bore — "  does  not  know  of  what  he 
speaks.  Here  the  nations  do  not  war  as 
our  nation  wars.  The  Great  Spirit  has 
whispered  to  me  that  it  is  right  for  the 
white  men  to  do  some  things,  and  wrong 
for  the  red  men  to  do  some  things.  He  has 
whispered  to  Uchichak  that  it  is  not  right 
for  the  Crees  to  take  scalps,  and  they  do 
not.  He  has  whispered  to  The  Keeper  that 
it  is  right,  and  so  The  Keeper  does.  He 
has  whispered  to  the  white  men  that  they 
shall  drink  of  the  water  of  fire.  He  has 
whispered  to  The  Keeper  not  to  drink.  The 
Keeper  has  seen  his  brothers  disobey,  and 
drink,  until  their  minds  were  stolen  from 
their  bodies.  The  Keeper  does  not  disobey 
the  Great  Spirit.  Let  my  brother  listen  to 
the  Great  Spirit,  unless  he  thinks  himself 
greater.  Does  my  brother  know  more  than 
the  Great  Spirit?" 

It  was  the  longest  speech  I  ever  heard 
from  The  Keeper,  and  his  quiet  sarcasm  at 
the  close  taught  me  a  lesson  that  I  sorely 
needed.  I  had  considered  myself  above 
these  poor  heathen  people,  and  in  time  I 
came  to  know  that  in  many  ways  I  was 
below  them.  We  did  not  worship  alike, 
yet  we  all  worshiped.  There  was  much 
that  they  could  and  did  teach  me,  and 
Uchichak  came  to  be  a  very  good  friend 
to  me. 

The  two  Mohawks  came  to  rather  disre- 
gard me  and  Ruth,  centering  themselves 
on  Radisson  alone,  quietly  but  insistently. 
They  hunted  and  fished  with  him,  or  alone, 
and  left  me  to  Uchichak,  who  proved  an 
able  teacher.  Those  were  happy  weeks  for 
me,  as  I  slowly  came  back  to  strength  and 
health,  and  I  believe  that  never  in  her  life 
had  Ruth  been  so  filled  with  the  joy  of 
youth  as  she  was  here.  And  it  was  well, 
for  there  were  dark  days  to  come. 

As  to  our  future,  that  was  unsettled. 
Radisson  was  filled  with  a  great  dream  of 
going  on  into  the  sunset  and  searching  out 
the  country  there,  of  finding  lands  where 


50 


THE    CONQUEST. 


no  white  man  had  ever  trod.  His  age  was 
as  nothing  to  him,  and  I  verily  believe  that 
except  for  Ruth  he  had  departed  long  since. 
But  the  love  of  the  little  maid  restrained 
him,  and  his  great  vision  waited  on  her 
will. 

With  the  snows,  I  set  forth  on  the  heels 
of  Uchichak,  learning  to  hunt  and  fish  and 
trap  as  did  the  Crees.  Our  fusils  and  lit- 
tle store  of  powder  were  jealously  guarded 
away,  so  that  perforce  I  had  to  'earn  the 
bow  and  spear.  I  learned  that  moose  and 
elk  and  bison  were  no  creatures  from  the 
nether  world,  but  animals  of  flesh  and 
blood,  and  one  day  I  proposed  to  The 
Crane  that  we  should  seek  out  the  moose 
who  had  attacked  us,  and  who  had  so  nearly 
killed  me.  At  the  suggestion  a  strange  ex- 
pression swept  across  the  chief's  dark, 
handsome  face,  and  he  glanced  at  me  with 
a  worried  look. 

"  Is  my  brother  so  anxious  to  meet  the 
Great  Spirit  ?  Has  he  not  escaped  the 
horns  of  the  Mighty  One  by  a-miracle?" 

"  Nonsense  !"  I  retorted.  "  The  Great 
Spirit  did  not  give  me  the  heart  of  a 
coward,  Uchichak.  He  saved  me  from  the 
moose,  and  if  it  be  His  will,  I  shall  some 
day  meet  and  slay  the  animal.  Why  do 
you  call  him  the  Mighty  One?" 

It  seemed  to  me  that  The  Crane  fell  to 
trembling,  almost.  Certainly  his  face 
quivered,  and  he  glanced  around  uneasily. 
We  stood  alone,  our  snowshoes  leaving  a 
faint  trail  across  a  bare  rise  of  snow, 
carrying  a  small  deer  between  us.  The 
chief  set  down  his  end  of  the  pole  and 
faced  me. 

"  You  have  said  many  things  to  me 
that  I  do  not  understand,  my  brother.  You 
have  told  me  of  the  Great  Spirit  whom 
you  serve,  and  sometimes  I  have  thought 
that  He  was  our  own  Great  Spirit  also. 
You  have  told  me  how  He  came  to  your 
people  and  let  men  kill  Him,  which  to  me 
seemed  verv  foolish,  so  that  I  knew  He 
was  not  the  same  Great  Spirit." 


In  that  moment  I  saw  the  mistake  I  had 
made.  I  had  told  Uchichak  the  bare  story 
of  the  Gospels,  but  had  not  explained  that 
story.  There,  standing  in  the  snow  beside 
the  stiff  and  frozen  deer,  with  his  intent 
gaze  fixed  on  me,  I  spoke  as  best  I  might. 
Indeed,  the  words  seemed  to  come  to  me 
as  if  placed  in  my  mouth,  and  when  I  had 
made  an  end  I  knew  not  what  I  had  said. 

But  Uchichak  gazed  at  me  silently,  and 
I  think  that  he  had  understood  the  greater 
part  of  my  speech,  for  I  had  spoken  mostly 
in  his  own  tongue,  haltingly  but  simply 
enough  that  a  child  might  understand. 

"  You  have  spoken  well,  my  brother," 
he  returned  slowly.  "I  have  understood 
your  words,  although  your  speech  is  harsh, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  that  not  you  were 
speaking,  but  the  Great  Spirit  whom  yon 
worship.  Listen.  It  is  well  that  my  peo- 
ple should  hear  of  this  also.  We  are  not 
like  the  Sioux  or  the  Chippewas,  blind  to 
all  things.  We  are  eager  to  let  our  ears 
be  open,  and  our  old  men  are  very  wise. 
To-morrow  night  shall  a  Council  be  held, 
and  before  the  Council  you  shall  tell  these 
things."  • 

Without  pausing  for  answer,  he  stooped 
and  we  picked  up  the  deer.  Our  way 
home  was  silent  enough,  and  I  dared  to 
dream  that  I  had  impressed  The  Crane 
with  some  knowledge  of  the  true  God.  But 
this  was  far  from  the  case,  as  I  was  to 
learn. 

I  have  passed  over  lightly  my  days  of 
striving,  when  I  was  learning  to  live  this 
new  life,  for  of  late  my  fingers  have  grown 
somewhat  stiff  and  the  quill  hard  to  hold, 
and  I  have  that  to  tell  of  which  must  not 
be  delayed.  At  this  time  the  winter  was 
well  onward,  and  many  of  the  men  were 
away  from  the  village,  hunting  in  the 
Barren  Places.  Of  Gib  and  his  Chippewas 
we  had  heard  nothing. 

"  Grim,  all  this  time,  had  remained  close 
to  me  and  Ruth.  The  Indian  dogs,  used 
for  hauling  sleds  in  winter,  seemed  idle, 


THE    CONQUEST. 


51 


frivolous  creatures  to  him,  and  he  disdained 
to  give  them  attention.  The  Crees  were 
inclined  to  sneer  at  him  as  a  "  lodge-dog," 
good  for  nothing  except  to  lie  beside  the 
fire,  until  one  day  two  of  their  fighting 
brutes  went  for  him.  Grim,  forced  to  the 
combat,  made  such  short  work  of  the  wolf- 
like  beasts  that  thereafter  the  others  slunk 
past  him  in  fear,  while  the  Crees  also  gave 
him  a  wide  berth. 

Upon  reaching  the  village  that  night,  we 
found  that  Radisson  and  the  Mohawks  had 
left  for  a  two-day  elk  hunt.  A  little  dis- 
mayed at  their  absence,  I  sought  out  Ruth 
and  told  her  of  my  conversation  with  the 
chief. 

"We  will  face  them  together,  Davie,"  she 
said  softly,  her  deep  eyes  aglow.  "  A 
woman  is  not  admitted  to  the  council,  yet 
Uchichak  can  persuade  them  easily  enough. 
They  are  not  stern,  fierce  people  like  the 
Mohawks,  and  they  will  listen  to  me." 

Gladly  enough  I  asked  Uchichak.  -After 
a  moment  he  nodded  gravely. 

"  She  may  speak,  and  then  go.  It  is  not 
permitted  that  women  should  sit  in  the 
council." 

This  was  the  best  I  could  get  out  of  him, 
but  it  was  enough.  There  was  no  sign 
of  Radisson  the  next  afternoon,  and  as  the 
council-lodge  was  made  ready  I  began  to 
miss  his  support.  Ruth  and  I  knew  that 
we  would  have  no  great  ordeal  before  us, 
but  it  would  be  hard  indeed  to  break 
through  the  stolidity  of  the  Crees,  to  ap- 
peal to  their  finer  feelings.  That  they  or 
other  Indians  have  such  feelings  has  been 
denied ;  but  I,  who  have  lived  and  hunted 
with  them,  know  that  all  men  have  souls 
alike — mayhap  some  deeper-buried  than 
others  beneath  the  crust  of  time  and  cir- 
cumstance, yet  all  there  for  the  finding. 

Ruth  and  I  ate  our  evening  meal 
together,  while  Grim  crunched  a  bone  con- 
tentedly at  our  sides.  Both  of  us,  as  our 
garments  had  given  out,  had  replaced 
them  with  others  of  very  soft  skin,  while 


in  this  cold  winter  weather  we  wore  furs 
as.  did  the  Crees.  When  the  meal  was 
done  we  covered  over  the  little  fire  in  the 
center  of  the  lodge,  and  stepped  to  the 
door. 

Five  minutes  later  we  were  in  the  lodge 
of  council — a  large  structure,  half  skin  and 
half  brush.  Around  the  fire  were  ranged 
the  old  men  of  the  village,  and  the  chiefs ; 
and  after  a  dignified  silence  the  calumet 
was  passed  around  from  hand  to  hand, 
among  the  very  old  men  only,  for  with 
these  people  tobacco  was  rather  in  the 
nature  of  a  burnt-offering,  and  was  never 
smoked  for  the  pleasure  therein.  Another 
silence,  then  the  oldest  chief  arose  and 
very  briefly  directed  Ruth  to  speak  to  them 
as  she  wished. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE   MOOSE  OF   MYSTERY. 

1  WOULD  that  I  might  give  here  the 
speech  that  Ruth  made  to  those  Crees, 

there  by  the  dim  light  of  the  little  fire, 
her  yellow  hair  flashing  forth  from  the 
wolf-fur  hood  in  long  tendrils,  her  eyes 
striving  to  pierce  through  the  darkness  to 
those  stolid  faces  about  her.  She  did  not 
speak  their  language  at  all  well,  and  I  saw 
plainly  that  the  hearing  had  been  given  her 
out  of  courtesy  alone.  They  were  our 
friends,  were  these  Crees,  because  we  were 
the  friends  of  Radisson,  and  they  would  do 
all  for  us  that  friends  might. 

At  length  she  finished  and  turned  away. 
I  stepped  forward  when  the  old  chief  had 
gravely  risen  and  thanked  her,  and  led  her 
to  the  entrance.  When  I  returned,  the 
same  old  man  rose  and  addressed  me. 

"  Our  brother  Brave  Eyes  has  heard  the 
words  of  the  Yellow  Lily.  They  were  like 
the  dew  upon  the  trees  at  dawn — spark- 
ling and  refreshing,  but  not  fit  to  quench 
the  thirst  of  the  warriors.  There  is  much 


52 


THE    CONQUEST. 


that  we  do  not  understand,  and  we  hope 
that  Brave  Eyes  will  set  our  minds  at  rest." 

I  waited  a  space,  knowing  that  this 
would  add  dignity  to  my  words.  Even  as 
I  rose  to  my  feet,  a  noise  of  dogs  came 
from  without,  the  flap  of  the  door  was 
pushed  aside  and  The  Keeper.  The  Arrow 
and  Radisson  entered  and  flitted  to  their 
seats  in  the  Council.  This  seemed  like  a 
good  omen  to  me.  and  I  took  heart  again. 

Xow  I  appealed  to  the  warriors  direct, 
strove  to  wake  them  to  consciousness  of 
what  my  message  meant,  applied  all  that  I 
said  to  their  life  and  daily  acts.  As  I  went 
on,  the  words  flowed  almost  of  themselves, 
and  I.  who  had  ever  been  a  clumsy,  gawky 
lout,  felt  with  a  thrill  that  I  was  command- 
ing these  men.  Yet  it  was  not  I,  as  none 
knew  better.  It  was  a  Something  that 
spoke  in  and  through  me.  until  in  the  end 
I  felt  a  great  fear  of  what  that  Something 
might  be.  Xone  the  less.  I  said  what  I 
had  to  say,  and  so  seated  myself  again, 
the  sweat  standing  out  on  my  brow. 

For  a  long,  long  time  there  was  no 
sound  within  the  lodge.  Then  I  saw  The 
Keeper  rise  to  his  feet  and  walk  out  beside 
the  fire,  standing  a  moment  like  a  dark 
statue. 

"  My  brothers/'  he  said  in  Cree,  "  we 
have  listened  to  very  great  words.  In  my 
own  land  the  Great  Spirit  has  sent  his 
Blackrobes  to  speak  such  words  to  us.  and 
we  have  listened.  I  am  very  old,  my 
brothers.  These  words  are  sweet  in  my 
ears.  But  my  white  brothers.  Brave  Eyes 
and  White  Eagle,  have  not  heard  all.  The 
Great  Spirit  has  not  whispered  to  them  of 
the  Mighty  One.  Perhaps  he  has  sent 
them  that  the  Mighty  One  should  be  slain, 
and  that  the  Cree  nation  should  know 
which  was  the  True  Great  Spirit.  I  have 
ended." 

I  did  not  understand  the  conclusion  of 
this  speech,  but  I  did  understand  the  half- 
audible  gasp  of  horror  that  ran  through 
the  lodge.  It  brought  back  to  me  the  time 


when  I  was  a  little  fellow,  and  had  gone 
to  meeting  one  day  with  my  father  and 
mother.  While  the  preacher  was  thunder- 
ing forth,  I  had  escaped  from  mother  and 
toddled  away  to  look  up  in  laughing  won- 
der at  the  tall  figure  of  Alec  Gordon,  with 
his  stiff  starched  bands.  In  that  moment 
the  same  shuddering  gasp  had  echoed 
through  the  folk,  and  I  heard  later  that  no 
few  of  them  had  looked  to  see  me  fall 
stricken. 

So  around  the  Council  lodge  ran  the 
same  whisper  and  was  gone  instantly.  I 
wondered  what  sacrilege  The  Keeper  had 
uttered,  and  stared  at  Uchichak  as  he 
gravely  rose,  took  up  the  calumet,  lit  it, 
and  waved  it  to  the  four  corners  of  the 
heavens.  Then  he  replaced  it  and  turned 
toward  me. 

"  My  brother  Ta-cha-noon-tia  is  our 
friend.  His  words  are  the  words  of  a 
friend.  He  is  a  great  warrior  and  an  old 
man,  and  his  Great  Spirit  is  very  strong. 
But  it  is  not  our  Great  Spirit  who  whis- 
pers in  his  ear,  and  we  are  afraid.  I  will 
tell  my  brothers  of  our  Great  Spirit." 

With  a  single  stride  he  went  to  the  door 
and  flung  open  the  flap  dramatically.  Be- 
fore us  in  the  sky  flamed  the  northern 
lights — grotesque  sheeted  figures  of  lam- 
bent flame,  dancing  here  and  yon,  rising, 
falling,  many-colored. 

"  The  Spirits  of  the  Dead  who  Dance." 
he  affirmed,  in  a  single  Cree  word.  "  My 
brothers  the  Great  Spirit  of  our  fathers 
is  mighty.  This  is  his  sign  to  his  children. 
When  we  have  passed  the  last  trail,  we  too 
shall  join  our  fathers  in  the  Spirit-dance 
across  the  heavens.  This  is  the  sign  that 
our  Great  Spirit  has  given  us.  And  now 
I  shall  tell  you  of  the  Mystery." 

I  would  have  sprung  up  and  made  ready 
answer,  but  a  hand  gripped  my  arm  and  I 
found  Radisson  behind  me.  I  remembered 
that  Indian  ways  were  not  our  ways,  and 
that  when  Uchichak  had  finished  I  could 
speak,  and  not  until  then. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


53 


"  My  brothers,  our  Great  Spirit,  from 
the  days  of  our  fathers,  has  sent  us  a  mes- 
senger. Sometimes  it  is  a  man,  sometimes 
it  is  an  animal."  His  voice  lowered  almost 
to  a  whisper,  and  the  hush  was  intense. 
"  My  brothers,  it  is  more  than  an  animal, 
more  than  a  little  brother  of  the  forest. 
\Ye  who  are  chiefs,  we  of  the  Council, 
know  that  this  messenger  is  none  other 
than  the  Great  Spirit  himself,  who  comes 
to  watch  over  his  children." 

For  an  instant  there  was  dead  silence, 
Uchichak  standing  with  bowed  head.  Only 
the  sound  of  heavy  breathing  filled  the 
lodge  until  he  continued  more  firmly. 

''  My  brothers,  when  I  was  very  young 
the  messenger  was  a  White  Beaver,  larger 
and  more  cunning  than  ever  beaver  was  be- 
fore him.  When  I  was  a  young  man  the 
Mighty  One  had  vanished,  and  in  his  place 
was  another  Mighty  One.  How  did  we 
know  this  ?  I  will  tell  you. 

"  One  of  our  young  men  brought  the 
news  that  in  the  Barren  Places  was  a 
mighty  moose,  larger  than  any  moose  ever 
seen.  He  had  followed  the  tracks,  and  had 
come  to  a  bear,  slain  by  the  moose.  There 
were  three  young  men  in  the  village  who 
said  they  would  hunt  this  moose.  Our  old 
men  warned  them,  saying  that  the  young 
man  had  been  led  to  the  bear  in  token  that 
the  moose  wished  us  well.  Perhaps  he  was 
a  Mighty  One.  But  the  young  men  refused 
to  listen  and  went  forth  with  their  dogs. 

"  My  brothers,  you  have  heard  the  tale 
of  Spotted  Lynx,  Two  Horns  and  Yellow 
Cloud.  They  hunted  for  many  weeks.  The 
Mighty  One  did  not  wish  to  harm  them. 
But  at  last  they  found  him  feeding,  and 
wounded  him.  My  brothers,  are  any  of 
those  young  men  among  you?  Have  you 
seen  their  faces  in  the  lodges  of  their  peo- 
ple? Have  they  returned  to  their  fathers?" 

A  single  half-suppressed  groan  broke 
from  one  of  the  old  men.  There  was  no 
doubt  that  the  tale  was  true.  I  reflected  that 
if  three  hunters,  armed  with  bow  and  spear, 


had  gone  out  against  that  terrible  moose, 
there  might  well  have  been  small  chance 
of  their  returning  safe.  But  The  Crane 
did  not  pause  long. 

"  We  have  heard  how  the  hunters  of 
the  Chippewa  nation  have  sought  him,  and 
have  fled  home  like  women  to  their  peo- 
ple. Our  fathers  have  told  us  how,  when 
they  were  little  children,  the  Great  Spirit 
had  whispered  to  them  that  the  Crees 
should  not  seek  to  hunt  the  Mighty  One, 
and  should  not  seek  to  hunt  in  the  hills  of 
the  Barren  Places.  It  is  in  these  hills  that 
the  Mighty  One  now  dwells,  and  the  Chip- 
pewas  fear  them  also. 

"  Sometimes  the  Mighty  One  travels  far. 
My  brothers,  you  have  heard  how  Brave 
Eyes  met  him.  You  have  seen  that  he 
favored  Brave  ,Eyes  and  did  not  kill  him, 
but  sent  him  to  be  our  brother.  The  heart 
of  Brave  Eyes  is  very  strong.  We  know 
that  it  holds  no  fear.  Now  that  he  knows 
who  the  Mighty  One  is  whose  horns  he  felt, 
now  that  he  knows  it  was  our  Great  Spirit 
himself,  Brave  Eyes  will  not  fear  to  say 
that  he  was  wrong." 

Uchichak  drew  his  furs  about  him  and 
resumed  his  seat.  The  eyes  of  the  Coun- 
cil, one  by  one,  were  slowly  turned  on 
me.  But  not  until  I  felt  Radisson's  hand 
relax  on  my  arm  did  I  rise  to  speak. 

"  My  brothers,"  I  said  with  some  diffi- 
culty, "  I  speak  in  a  strange  tongue.  I  can 
find  no  words  in  it  to  say  that  I  did  not 
speak  to  you  rightly  before.  The  Crane 
has  told  me  that  the  Spirits  of  the  Dead 
who  Dance  are  signs  from  your  Great 
Spirit.  How  is  it,  then,  that  the  same 
signs  have  come  to  me  and  my  brother  the 
White  Eagle  and  to  my  sister  the  Yellow 
Lily,  very  far  from  here.  How  is  it  that 
this  sign  comes  to  my  white  brothers  also?" 

There  was  a  little  stir  at  this,  and  I 
heard  the  Keeper  grunt  in  appreciation. 

"  Listen,  my  brothers.  I  have  told  you 
of  the  sign  in  the  water,  which  the  Great 
Spirit  has  sent  to  his  white  children, 


54 


THE    CONQUEST. 


through  his  own  Son.  I  wish  you  to  re- 
member this,  and  it  may  be  that  you  will 
accept  this  sign.  As  to  your  Mighty  One, 
he  is  not  a  Messenger  sent  by  the  Great 
Spirit;  he  is  a  messenger  of  the  Evil 
Spirit." 

I  had  looked  for  another  stir  at  these 
words,  but  none  came.  Instead,  there  was 
silence — the  silence  of  apprehension,  of 
waiting. 

"  My  brothers,  you  do  not  like  my  words, 
but  your  hearts  are  open.  Your  ears  are 
not  closed  to  the  whisper  of  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  you  will  listen.  If  the  Mighty 
One  was  your  friend  and  protector,  would 
he  have  slain  your  young  men?  Would 
he  not  have  sent  them  home  as  he  has  sent 
the  other  hunters,  like  foolish  women?" 

I  paused  again,  taking  full  advantage  of 
this  favorite  trick  of  Indian  Oratory. 

"  Listen,  my  brothers.  My  Great  Spirit 
whispers  to  me.  He  says  that  your  Mighty 
One  is  false.  He  says  that  there  is  only 
one  Great  Spirit,  and  that  He  wishes  you 
to  accept  the  sign  in  the  water.  He  says 
that  it  is  for  this  purpose  He  brought  me 
to  you.  He  asks  you  whether  you  will  ac- 
cept this  sign  that  you  believe  in  Him." 

With  this  rather  abrupt  close  I  sat  down. 
There  was  a  long  silence  as  they  turned 
over  my  words  carefully,  slowly,  weighing 
each  one.  Finally  the  old  wizened  head- 
chief,  whose  single  eagle-feather  gleamed 
oddly  in  the  red  light,  answered  me. 

"  My  brother,  you  have  spoken  well. 
Your  words  have  satisfied  the  thirst  of 
the  warriors,  as  the  spring  that  bubbles  in 
the  forest.  Yet  we  were  afraid  at  them, 
for  we  feared  that  our  Great  Spirit  would 
be  angry. 

"  You  have  said  that  the  sign  of  the 
Spirits  of  the  Dead  has  been  sent  to  you 
also.  That  is  well.  The  Great  Spirit  has 
whispered  to  me.  He  whispered  in  my 
ear  that  you,  my  brother,  and  my  brother 
\Vhite  Eagle  also,  should  prove  to  us  that 
the  Mighty  One  is  a  messenger  of  the  Evil 


Spirit.  You  have  told  us  how  your  Great 
Spirit  sent  His  Son  to  you,  and  how  you 
killed  Him.  We  would  not  have  treated 
Him  thus,  my  brother.  Our  ears  are  open. 
We  would  have  feasted  Him  with  venison 
and  listened  to  Him. 

"  The  Great  Spirit  has  whispered  to  me 
that  you  should  seek  the  Mighty  One.  We 
know  that  there  is  no  fear  in  your  heart, 
and  that  the  White  Eagle  is  very  wise  and 
good.  Perhaps  the  Great  Spirit  will  help 
you.  If  you  slay  the  Mighty  One  we  will 
know  that  we  have  been  wrong,  and  that 
our  fathers  have  been  wrong,  and  we  will 
accept  the  sign  in  the  water." 

Weak  and  shaking,  the  old  man  sat 
down  and  covered  his  face.  One  by  one 
the  chiefs  stood  up  and  spoke  in  the  same 
vein.  One  by  one  they  agreed  that  if 
Radisson  and  I  should  slay  the  Moose, 
they  would  accept  the  "  sign  in  the  water," 
for  thus  only  could  I  represent  the  symbol 
of  baptism  to  them.  Uchichak  made  a 
splendid  speech,  and  I  was  right  glad  to 
find  here  in  the  wilderness  men  whose 
minds  were  so  open,  so  free  to  conviction. 
Their  beliefs  were  simple  and  earnest,  and 
while  there  was  small  hope  that  they  would 
or  could  accept  the  gospel  of  peace,  merely 
to  bring  them  to  a  knowledge  of  the  True 
God  would  be  a  tremendous  conquest.  • 

So  the  Council  ended.  Radisson  accom- 
panied me  to  the  lodge  of  Ruth,  where 
we  told  her  all  that  had  taken  place,  and 
of  the  gage  of  battle  which  had  been  flung 
before  us.  That  it  would  be  accepted  by 
Radisson  I  had  no  doubt. 

"  Aye,  lad,"  he  said  in  answer  to  my 
eager  question,  "  I  may  hold  to  no  faith 
over-much,  but  in  this  matter  I  am  with 
you — if  only  for  the  sake  of  little  Ruth 
here." 

"  Not  that !"  she  flashed  out  at  him 
quickly.  "  Pray,  Uncle  Pierre,  have  you 
no  deeper  thought  than  this?  Look  deep 
down  in  your  heart,  and  say  no  if  you 
dare !" 


THE    CONQUEST. 


55 


Radisson  looked  down  at  her,  then  at 
me,  and  in  his  weary  eyes  I  saw  what  I 
had  but  seldom  found  in  his  face.  In  that 
moment  I  knew  that  even  from  us  he  had 
kept  his  real  self  hidden. 

"  Yes,  child,"  he  replied  softly.  "  I  hesi- 
tated to  acknowledge  it,  but  it  is  true.  I 
may  not  be  of  your  faith,  but  I  will  do 
this  thing  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  suffered 
for  us  all,  and  in  the  trust  that  through 
us  these  poor,  faithful  friends  of  ours  may 
be  given  a  light  to  lighten  their  darkness." 

Wherewith  he  rose  and  left  us  suddenly, 
nor  did  he  ever  allude  to  that  conversation 
again,  until  the  day  he  left  us.  But  Ruth 
and  I  sat  silent  for  a  little  space,  won- 
dering. 

"  It  is  a  fearsome  thing,"  I  murmured 
at  last,  "  how  this  superstition  has  laid  hold 
on  such  men  as  Uchichak.  Why,  the 
Mighty  One  is  no  more  than  a  beast — cun- 
ning, merciless,  but  still  a  beast.  With 
such  men  as  Radisson  and  the  Mohawks 
with  me,  what  is  there  to  fear?" 

"  Softly,  Davie,"  smiled  Ruth  a  little 
sadly.  "  It  is  not  so  easy  as  may  seem  to 
you.  Did  ever  an  easy  thing  accomplish 
aught  in  the  world?  It  is  the  things  we 
fight  for  and  suffer  for  that  are  worth 
while,  that  bring  the  Word  to  the  world. 
It  was  never  God's  way  to  make  the  path 
easy  for  those  who  bear  His  Word." 

I  wondered  at  her  not  a  little.  There 
was  a  light  in  her  sweet  face  that  I  had 
never  seen  before,  and  something  in  her 
manner  smote  me  to  the  heart,  so  that  I 
bade  her  good-night  and  left  her  to  sleep. 

And  ever  since  that  night  I  have  thought 
that  Ruth  spoke  not  of  herself,  for  her 
words  were  fraught  with  prophecy. 

For  the  next  few  days  the  four  of  us 
were  very  busy.  We  decided  that  if  the 
work  must  be  done  it  should  be  done  at 
once,  and  we  made  ready  without  delay. 
I  think  Radisson,  despite  his  words  of  that 
night,  was  eager  to  be  off  and  away  into 
the  westing  lands  where  no  man  had  been, 


for  it  was  ever  his  wont  to  seek  beyond 
the  known. things. 

The  Crees  were  ready  enough  to  help 
us  with  all  that  we  asked.  Uchichak  it  was 
who  gave  us  his  dogs  and  sled,  whereon 
we  loaded  food  and  our  fusils,  with  what 
store  of  powder  and  ball  we  had.  It  was 
settled  that  after  the  next  heavy  fall  of 
snow  we  should  set  forth,  and  by  the  signs 
of  the  country  the  Crees  declared  that  a 
storm  was  not  far  off. 

Indeed,  it  came  within  the  week — two 
days  of  heavy,  drifting  snow  and  high  wind. 
And  when  it  came  we  knew  that  ere  long 
we  would  be  parted  from  our  little  lass. 
But  the  manner  of  that  parting,  and  the 
ending  of  it,  was  in  no  wise  what  we  had 
looked  forward  to. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  RAIDERS. 

NOW  it  may  be  that  the  things  I  have 
to  relate  will  seem  strange  and  un- 
Christian  and  wondrous,  even  as  they 
do  to  me.  Yet  are  they  but  the  truth.  In 
that  far  Northern  land  many  such  things 
come  to  pass,  for  there  man  is  very  close 
to  the  forces  of  the  world,  and  whether 
it  be  that  his  mind  is  quickened  by  the  dread 
silence  of  the  snows,  or  whether  there  is 
in  truth  a  nearness  to  God  in  that  silence. 
I  know  not.  It  has  often  vexed  me  and 
the  answer  is  not  yet. 

But  this  much  I  do  know.  Holding  to 
none  of  the  superstitions  around  me,  I  then 
believed  and  do  still  affirm  that  the  whole 
matter  of  the  Moose  of  Mystery,  the 
Mighty  One,  was  under  the  direction  of 
some  Higher  Power,  and  that  Gib  o' 
Clarclach  came  to  his  triumph  and  his 
end  through  that  same  guidance.  How- 
beit.  I  had  best  leave  you  to  judge  for 
yourselves. 


56 


THE    CONQUEST. 


That  storm  came  upon  us  and  closed  us 
in  our  lodges  for  two  days.  On  the  third 
morning  it  was  decided  that  we  should 
start  forth  just  as  soon  as  the  crust  had 
formed  strong  enough  to  bear  dogs  and 
sled.  In  the  meantime,  Uchichak  and  I 
went  forth  upon  a  last  hunt,  thinking  to 
bring  in  a  caribou  or  elk,  for  with  the 
winter  the  bison  had  drifted  far  to  the 
south  of  us. 

Two  days  of  idleness  and  gorging,  as 
was  the  custom  of  the  Crees.  had  well- 
nigh  finished  the  stock  of  food  in  the  vil- 
lage. Therefore  most  of  the  men  fared 
forth  on  the  hunt.  Radisson  and  the  two 
Mohawks  trailed  together,  admitting  none 
other  to  their  company,  and  on  the  second 
morning  thereafter  we  four  were  to  set  out 
upon  our  quest.  According  to  custom,  the 
warriors  set  out  in  small  groups  or  singly, 
scattering  in  all  directions.  Ruth  was  en- 
gaged in  making  deerskin  scabbards  for  the 
fusils,  since  in  that  terrific  cold  it  was  im- 
possible to  set  fingers  to  iron. 

Uchichak  and  I  were  accompanied  by 
a  lively  young  brave  named  Wapistan,  or 
The  Marten,  who  had  often  gone  out  with 
us,  and  whose  tracking  powers  were  re- 
markable. As  ever,  we  were  armed  only 
with  bows  and  flint-tipped  arrows.  My 
own  weapon,  which  I  had  made  with  great 
care,  was  a  source  of  great  interest  to  the 
Crees,  for  it  was  full  twice  as  long  and 
thick  as  theirs,  and  even  Uchichak  could 
scarcely  bend  it,  although  to  me  the  trick 
came  easily  enough.  I  would  never  be  as 
expert  as  was  The  Crane,  but  when  it 
came  to  distance  I  could  overshoot  him 
greatly.  This,  however,  was  more  by  rea- 
son of  my  greater  strength,  for  which  qual- 
ity of  body  I  later  thanked  God  most 
heartily. 

The  fierceness  of  the  storm  seemed  to 
have  driven  most  of  the  larger  animals  to 
the  shelter  of  the  hills,  and  although  we 
circled  widely  to  the  east  of  the  village 
and  then  to  the  north,  by  that  evening  we 


had  found  nothing  save  a  few  rabbits,  which 
barely  were  sufficient  for  our  own  needs. 
As  there  was  another  day  ahead  of  us,  we 
camped  that  night  beneath  some  willows 
on  the  bank  of  an  ice-clad  river.  I  urged 
Uchichak  to  push  forward  to  the  hills  in 
the  northeast,  but  he  refused  stoutly. 

"  Those  are  the  Ghost  Hills,  brother. 
There  walks  the  Mighty  One,  and  the 
Spirits  of  the  Dead  who  Dance.  We  can 
hear  them  singing  in  the  wind.  We  must 
not  disturb  them." 

All  that  evening  The  Crane  was  very 
silent  and  downcast,  and  I  came  to  know 
that  he  considered  that  this  was  our  last 
trip  together.  To  his  mind,  the  Great 
Spirit  would  never  allow  me  to  come  back 
from  that  hunt  against  the  Mighty  One. 
The  Ghost  Hills  were  sacred,  and  were 
about  to  be  impiously  profaned.  Indeed, 
since  that  meeting  of  the  Council  we  had 
come  in  for  no  small  share  of  reverence 
from  all  the  warriors,  who  held  that  we 
were  bravely  going  to  our  deaths.  I 
learned  later  that  it  had  been  decided  that 
the  Yellow  Lily  should  become  the  adopted 
daughter  of  the  tribe,  should  we  fail  to 
return. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  three  of  us  left 
our  brush  shelter  and  started  forth,  deter- 
mined to  avoid  the  disgrace  of  returning 
to  the  village  empty-handed.  Now  we  cir- 
cled back  toward  the  south  again,  over- 
looking no  patch  of  woods  where  elk  or 
deer  might  be  sheltering.  The  morning 
was  still  young  when  we  came  to  a  break 
of  heavy-laden  pines,  and  started  through 
them  warily.  Suddenly  a  cry  from  Wapis- 
tan,  at  one  side,  called  us  to  him. 

"  Come  quickly !" 

We  found  him  standing  in  the  midst  of 
some  bushes,  where  the  snow  had  been 
kicked  away  in  a  wide  circle,  affording 
access  to  the  tender  green  shoots  beneath. 
But  there  was  no  expression  of  joy  on 
his  face,  and  as  we  came  up  The  Crane 
halted  abruptly. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


57 


"  Let  us  go  away  quickly,"  he  muttered. 
I  was  amazed  at  this,  for  it  was  plain  to 
me  that  here  was  the  bed  of  a  moose,  and 
I  stared  at  the  two  men  until  Wapistan  led 
me  over  to  the  side  of  the  little  clearing. 

"  Let  my  brother  look  upon  the  tracks 
of  the  Mighty  One,"  was  all  he  said.  There 
before  me  were  such  tracks  as  I  had  never 
seen — great  imprints  of  sharp  hoofs  that 
could  only  have  been  made  by  the  giant 
moose  which  had  attacked  us  in  the  begin- 
ning. I  have  hunted  many  moose,  since 
then,  but  never  have  I  found  such  a  trail 
as  that. 

"  Listen,  Uchichak,"  I  said,  trembling 
with  eagerness.  "  If  he  is  the  Mighty  One, 
he  must  have  been  sent  to  us,  for  we  are 
far  from  the  Hills.  Let  us  follow.  I  will 
hunt  him,  you  need  not." 

"  The  Mighty  One  walks  on  the  storm," 
murmured  The  Crane,  glancing  around 
apprehensively.  None  the  less,  my  words 
had  impressed  him.  '  We  will  see  whither 
the  tracks  lead.  It  may  be  that  the  Great 
Spirit  has  sent  him  to  his  children.  He 
may  lead  us  to  a  herd  of  elk.  We  will  fol- 
low a  little  way." 

And  therein  was  the  beginning  of  our 
strange  pilgrimage. 

Without  delay  we  started  out,  Wapistan 
leading  and  Uchichak  bringing  up  the  rear. 
The  great  caution  displayed  by  these  hunt- 
ers told  me  more  than  any  words  could 
have  done  that  our  quest  was  a  dangerous 
one.  With  bows  strung  and  ready,  every 
aisle  of  the  forest  was  searched  ahead  of 
us,  and  with  every  crack  of  sticks  and  trees 
in  the  great  frost  I  could  see  Wapistan 
spring  to  alertness.  But  all  around  us  was 
nothing  save  the  deathly  silence,  through 
which  the  frost-crackles  and  the  "  sluff- 
sluff  "  of  our  snowshoes  sounded  loud. 

Mile  after  mile  we  plowed  along,  from 
patch  to  patch  of  forest,  and  still  the  deep 
tracks  of  the  giant  beast  led  us  onward. 
The  fresh-fallen  snow  had  made  heavy  go- 
ing for  him,  since  at  each  step  he  plunged 


through  to  his  knees.  The  Crees  might 
consider  that  he  walked  on  the  wind,  but 
for  my  own  part  I  thought  him  a  feckless 
creature  to  leave  the  shelter  of  the  Hills 
in  such  a  storm.  And  in  that  thought  I 
neglected  the  workings  of  Providence,  as  I 
later  admitted  readily  enough. 

The  trail  presently  led  us  to  a  fairly 
large  river,  and  out  across  the  ice.  The 
other  bank  was  bordered  with  thick  trees, 
and  as  we  neared  them  I  turned  to  The 
Crane  and  smiled. 

"  If  the  Mighty  One  walked  on  the  storm, 
Uchichak,  it  looks  as  though  men  had  also 
been  able  to  walk  there." 

But  the  Indians  had  already  caught  sight 
of  the  dark  trail  on  the  farther  shore,  and 
with  a  guttural  exclamation  of  surprise  we 
all  dashed  forward.  There  in  the  shelter  of 
the  trees  the  snow  was  not  so  deep,  and 
the  tracks  of  the  Mighty  One  led  us 
straight  to  a  deep  trail  plowed  in  the  snow, 
where  they  were  lost. 

"  Are  they  other  hunters  from  the  vil- 
lage?" I  asked  in  my  ignorance.  The  two 
Crees  kicked  away  their  snowshoes  and 
crept  about  examining  the  trail,  while  I 
leaned  on  my  bow.  It  was  plain  enough 
that  the  Moose  had  gone  forward  in  this 
path,  where  the  snow  had  been  worn  away 
and  packed  deep  for  him,  whereat  I  began 
to  think  better  of  his  sense. 

Uchichak  straightened  up  suddenly,  and 
at  sight  of  his  face  I  knew  that  something 
was  wrong — terribly  wrong.  His  usual 
stolidity  had  given  place  to  rage  and  grief, 
and  he  turned  to  me  with  a  flame  in  his 
dark  eyes. 

"  My  brother,  we  must  hasten  to  the 
village  at  once.  Men  have  come  and  gone, 
and  they  are  not  of  our  own  people." 

Still  I  realized  nothing  of  what  he 
meant,  although  his  face  sobered  me. 

"  Then  do  you  go,"  I  returned,  "  while 
I  continue  on  the  trail  of  the  Mighty 
One — "  But  Wapistan  had  sprung  to  my 
side,  eager  and  wrathful. 


58 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  Brave  Eyes  cannot  read  the  trail,"  he 
cried  sharply.  "  See,  here  have  gone  many 
men — two  or  three  tens  of  men.  Their 
tracks  lead  away  from  the  village,  and  with 
them  goes  a  dog-sled.  They  travel  to- 
ward the  Ghost  Hills,  and  their  snowshoes 
are  of  Chippewa  make.  Let  us  hasten, 
my  brothers  !" 

Then  I  groaned,  for  I  remembered  what 
Radisson  had  said  of  Gib.  called  The  Pike, 
and  his  Chippewa  followers.  If  these  men 
had  come  to  the  village  when  the  hunters 
were  away,  what  had  happened  ? 

Right  speedily  was  all  thought  of  the 
Mighty  One  forgotten,  as  we  took  up  the 
trail  in  desperate  haste  toward  the  village. 
Wapistan  went  on  to  say  that  it  was  very 
fresh,  that  the  band  had  not  passed  us 
more  than  an  hour  previously,  and  in  no 
long  time  his  words  were  borne  out.  For, 
as  we  turned  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river- 
trail,  we  came  upon  two  men  striding 
rapidly  toward  us.  They  were  not  more 
than  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  I  did  not 
need  Uchichak's  hasty  exclamation  to  tell 
me  that  they  were  Chippewas.  For  one  was 
our  old  friend  Soan-ge-ta-ha,  though  the 
other  I  knew  not. 

For  a  bare  second  we  stared  at  each 
other,  then  I  saw  the  Chippewa  chief  throw 
off  the  coverings  of  a  musket.  I  dashed 
my  two  companions  headlong,  just  as  the 
weapon  roared  out  and  gave  vent  to  a 
cloud  of  smoke.  The  bullet  sang  over- 
head, and  at  this  unprovoked  and  cowardly 
attack  I  picked  up  my  strung  bow  and 
drew  it  taut. 

The  two  Chippewas  had  darted  aside 
just  after  the  chief  fired,  and  were  speed- 
ing for  the  shelter  of  the  trees.  But  my 
arrow  sped  faster  than  they.  Even  as 
Uchichak  and  Wapistan  darted  forward, 
I  saw  Brave  Heart  stumble,  and  the  mus- 
ket flew  far  from  him.  He  was  up  and 
running  again,  however,  but  the  brief 
pause  had  given  my  vengeful  friends  a 
lead.  All  four  disappeared  among  the 


trees,  with  wild  cries  that  thrilled  my  heart. 

I  followed  slowly  after  them,  glad  that 
my  savage  aim  had  not  gone  true,  for  in 
all  my  life  I  had  never  shed  the  heart- 
blood  of  a  man.  That  these  Chippewas 
were  enemies  there  was  no  doubt,  and  I 
prudently  stopped  to  recover  the  musket 
dropped  by  the  chief,  for  such  things  were 
valuable.  A  brief  wonder  came  to  me  that 
the  weapon  had  not  dismayed  the  two 
Crees,  but  I  hastened  to  follow  them  in 
among  the  trees.  As  I  did  so,  I  caught  a 
glimpse  of  something  dark  speeding  to- 
ward us  from  the  direction  of  the  village, 
but  I  stopped  not  to  see  what  it  was. 

From  the  trees  and  bushes  came  the 
sound  of  men  struggling,  and  when  I  had 
broken  through  I  saw  the  four  in  front. 
Wapistan  was  calmly  sitting  in  the  snow, 
wiping  his  long  flint  knife,  and  I  turned 
from  him  with  a  shudder.  Soan-ge-ta-ha 
and  Uchichak  were  at  handgrips,  but  The 
Crane  plainly  had  the  mastery  over  the 
Chippewa  chief,  in  whose  shoulder  still 
stood  my  arrow.  Even  as  I  plunged  for- 
ward through  the  snow,  Brave  Heart  bent 
backward,  the  knife  dropped  from  his 
nerveless  fingers,  and  Uchichak  stood  up 
to  meet  me. 

"It  was  a  good  fight,  brother!"  he  said 
calmly.  "  This  Chippewa  dog  is  only 
faint  from  loss  of  blood.  The  Marten  has 
sharp  teeth,  and  is  a  warrior.  Good !" 

I  kneeled  over  Brave  Heart,  pulled  the 
arrow  through  his  shoulder-muscles,  and 
roughly  bound  up  the  already  freezing 
wound.  As  I  did  so,  I  told  the  others  of 
the  dark  object  that  I  had  seen  approach- 
ing, and  Wapistan  slipped  away.  The 
Crane  aided  me  in  getting  Brave  Heart 
up  with  his  back  against  a  stump,  and 
barely  had  we  done  so  when  there  was  a 
crash  of  bushes  behind  us,  and  m  swept 
Radisson,  The  Keeper,  and  Swift  Arrow, 
leading  the  same  dog-sled  which  had  been 
prepared  for  our  hunt  of  the  Mighty  One. 
The  Chippewa  chief  opened  his  eyes. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


59 


"  Soan-ge-ta-ha,"  burst  out  Radisson 
angrily  in  English,  "your  heart  is  bad! 
You  have  led  your  warriors  against  the 
Crees,  stealing  upon  them  in  the  night, 
and  you  shall  suffer  for  it  bitterly !" 

"What  has  happened?"  I  cried  out,  a 
great  fear  rising  in  me.  "  What  does  it 
all  mean  ?" 

Brave  Heart  smiled  cruelly,  the  two 
Mohawks  stood  impassive.  Radisson  turned 
to  me  with  a  sudden  sob  shaking  his  great 
frame,  and  his  white-bearded  face  seemed 
shot  with  lightnings  as  he  made  reply  in 
Cree,  that  the  warriors  might  understand. 

"What  does  it  mean?  It  means  that 
The  Pike  is  on  his  last  war-path,  Davie  ! 
Last  night  a  band  of  thirty  Chippewas 
burst  on  the  village.  The  few  men  held 
them  back  until  most  of  the  women  could 
escape  with  some  few  things,  then — then 
the  village  was  destroyed." 

A  grunt  broke  from  Uchichak,  and  his 
hand  went  to  his  knife  as  he  stood  over 
the  wounded  chief.  But  I  flung  him  away, 
a  question  hot  on  my  lips. 

"Was  it  Ruth  they  were  after?  Did 
they  harm  her?" 

"  Yes  and  no,  lad.  They  bore  her  away 
captive  on  a  sled.  Fortunately,  these  dogs 
and  our  sled  had  been  hidden  out  of  their 
reach.  When  the  Mohawks  and  I  returned 
we  took  them  and  came  after.  You  shall 
go  forward  with  us,  and  we  will  follow 
the  party." 

"  What  can  we  do  against  them  ?"  I  ex- 
claimed hopelessly. 

"  We  can  watch  and  wait,"  returned 
Radisson  grimly,  with  a  significant  look  at 
the  two  gaunt  warriors  beside  him.  "  Uchi- 
chak, do  you  take  this  Chippewa  back  and 
hold  him  captive.  Gather  your  hunters 
speedily — even  now  they  are  coming  in.  Send 
a  runner  to  the  village  of  Talking  Owl  and 
bid  his  young  men  join  you.  Then  follow 
our  trail,  even  though  it  may  lead  to  the 
Ghost  Hills.  There,  perhaps,  The  Pike 
will  imagine  that  you  do  not  dare  follow." 


Uchichak  said  nothing.  He  and  Wapis- 
tan  jerked  Brave  Heart  to  his  feet,  replaced 
his  snowshoes  for  him,  and  the  three  de- 
parted. So  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  had 
the  dire  news  broken  upon  me,  that  I  stood 
as  if  dazed.  Radisson  came  and  put  a 
kindly  hand  on  my  shoulder. 

"  Come,  lad,  all  is  not  lost.  They  will 
not  harm  the  little  maid,  and  we  must 
hasten  on  their  trail.  Not  even  The  Pike 
would  dare  harm  her  while  their  chief  is  a 
captive.  Come,  there  is  work  for  us  ahead. 
Now  tell  me  your  tale  as  we  go  forward." 

Brokenly,  I  told  him  how  we  had  come 
upon  the  trail.  When  I  finished,  Radisson's 
face  was  lit  with  a  stern  glow,  and  he 
raised  a  hand  to  the  Mohawks. 

"  My  brothers,  the  Great  Spirit  is  fight- 
ing for  us !  The  Mighty  One  has  led 
Brave  Eyes  to  the  trail.  He  will  lead  us  on 
where  the  trail  is  lost!" 

And  that  was  the  manner  in  which  the 
madness  of  Radisson  began — a  madness,  I 
think,  which  was  sent  by  the  Great  Spirit 
of  whom  he  spoke. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  PURSUIT. 

WHEN  I  speak  of  madness,  I  mean 
nothing  else.     From  that  moment 
the  old  man  was  daft,  as  it  seemed 
to  me.     We  two  led  the  way,  the  Mohawks 
following  after  the  sled,  and  Radisson  set 
such  a  place  as  I  never  traveled  before  or 
since. 

The  mighty  energy  of  the  old  man 
dominated  us  all.  From  his  words  I  soon 
saw  that  he  had  become  filled  with  the 
idea  that  the  Moose  had  been  sent  to  lead 
us  to  Ruth  again,  until  presently  the  un- 
canny thought  of  it  laid  hold  on  me  like- 
wise. We  took  up  the  trail  of  the  raiders, 
which  after  a  few  miles  crossed  the  river 


60 


THE    CONQUEST. 


and  struck  off  straight  for  the  northeast, 
with  the  moose-tracks  still  following  it. 

Mile  after  mile  we  swung  behind  us.  I 
wondered  at  Radisson's  words — "  where 
the  trail  is  lost " — for  it  seemed  that  a  child 
could  follow  such  a  plain,  deep  track  as 
this.  But  he  had  not  lived  his  life  in  the 
wilderness  for  naught.  As  we  went  for- 
ward, he  told  of  how  the  raiders  must  have 
left  before  the  great  storm,  and  have  trav- 
eled through  it,  to  spring  on  the  village 
with  Indian  cunning  when  they  knew  the 
hunters  would  be  gone. 

Their  object  was  plain  enough,  for  Gib 
thought  to  get  a  firm  hold  on  Radisson  by 
the  capture  of  Ruth,  and  perhaps  to  sell 
that  advantage  to  the  English  or  French. 
Both  nations  had  wronged  the  terrible  old 
man  deeply,  and  both  would  be  like  to  go 
wild  when  they  heard  that  he  was  loose  in 
his  own  land  again.  In  the  old  days  the 
mere  magic  of  his  name,  the  terror  inspired 
by  his  countless  daring  escapades  and  ad- 
ventures, had  more  than  once  swept  the 
Bay  clear  of  his  foes.  I  have  often  thought 
that  had  the  French  not  betrayed  him  so 
shamefully,  and  had  the  English  not  mis- 
used his  great  powers  so  basely,  one  na- 
tion or  the  other  would  ere  now  have 
ruled  all  the  land  from  the  Colonies  to 
the  Bay.  There  are  wars  and  rumors  of 
wars  in  the  land,  however,  and  I  have  even 
lately  heard  a  wild  rumor  that  our  armies 
have  conquered  all  the  Canadas ;  though 
this  is  hardly  possible,  to  my  mind.  But 
to  return  to  my  tale. 

There  was  some  dried  meat  on  the 
sledge,  and  this  we  ate  as  we  traveled, 
without  stop.  The  Chippewa  party,  fearful 
of  pursuit,  were  putting  on  all  speed  in  a 
desperate  effort  to  gain  the  shelter  of  the 
Hills  before  they  were  overtaken.  The 
trail  was  fresh,  and  they  could  not  go 
faster  than  did  we,  for  they  were  handi- 
capped by  the  sled  which  bore  Ruth. 

From  Radisson  I  learned  that  Gib  had 
cunningly  prevented  his  raiders  from  in- 


juring the  people  of  the  village.  He  no 
doubt  knew  that  if  Ruth  alone  were  car- 
ried off,  the  Crees  would  hesitate  long 
before  venturing  to  follow  him  into  the 
sacred  Hills.  But  the  savage  instincts  of 
his  followers  had  upset  his  crafty  plans. 
Soan-ge-ta-ha  and  another  had  stolen 
back  to  pillage  and  burn  and  slay,  thinking 
to  catch  up  easily  with  the  party.  But  for 
us  they  would  have  done  so,  and  now  not 
even  the  Ghost  Hills  would  stay  the  venge- 
ful Crees  from  the  pursuit. 

At  evening  we  halted  for  a  brief  half- 
hour,  to  bait  and  rest  the  dogs.  Now  the 
weeks  of  hardening  and  hunting  began  to 
bear  fruit,  for  I  had  stood  that  terrific 
pace  nearly  as  well  as  the  rest.  My  ribs 
were  still  somewhat  sore  at  times,  but  in 
the  main  I  was  heartier  and  stronger  than 
ever  in  my  life  before. 

The  rest  was  grateful  to  us  all,  and  at 
this  time  we  loaded  the  fusils,  together 
with  the  musket  taken  from  Brave  Heart, 
and  covered  them  carefully  on  the  sled. 
We  might  have  need  of  them  at  any  time, 
and  to  load  was  no  short  work.  For  some 
time  I  had  seen  no  signs  of  Ruth's  sled  in 
the  trail  we  followed,  and  spoke  of  it  to 
the  Keeper. 

"  It  is  there,"  he  grunted.  "  They  are 
following  it,  hiding  it  beneath  their  tracks." 

"  That  looks  as  if  they  were  getting 
ready  to  lose  the  trail,"  put  in  Radisson. 
He  seemed  to  give  no  thought  to  this  pos- 
sibility, taking  it  as  a  matter  of  course, 
and  the  Mohawks  only  nodded.  It  seemed 
strange  to  me,  but  I  held  my  peace. 

When  the  Spirit  of  the  Dead  began  to 
dance  in  the  sky  we  took  up  the  march 
again,  goading  the  weary  dogs  to  the  trail. 
Faint  rumbles  as  of  thunder  seemed  to 
come  from  the  heavens,  but  ever  we 
slapped  on  and  on  across  the  snows,  while 
grotesque  shadows  fell  all  around  us  as 
the  lights  quivered  above  in  lambent  blue 
and  purple  flames.  It  was  a  wondrous 
spectacle,  far  beyond  any  that  I  had  seen 


THE    CONQUEST. 


61 


at  home,  where  the  lights  were  a  common 
occurrence,  and  I  gave  the  Crees  small 
blame  for  naming  them  as  they  did.  To  an 
ignorant  people  those  flaring  fires  of  God 
must  indeed  have  seemed  like  spirits  leap- 
ing over  the  skies. 

The  deep  trail  led  us  straight  through 
forest  and  wild,  open  levels  of  snow.  Once 
we  came  to  a  camping-place  of  the  Chip- 
pewas,  where  they  too  had  made  a  brief 
halt  for  food  and  rest.  Far  beyond  lay 
the  deep  forest,  and  a  wide  curving  line 
of  taller  trees  tokened  that  there  was  some 
large  river  before  us,  or  mayhap  a  lake. 

And  a  lake  it  proved  to  be,  set  in  the 
midst  of  trees,  with  a  small  stream  flowing 
from  it.  All  was  ice-coated,  swept  bare 
of  snow  by  the  wind,  and  the  trail  led 
straight  to  this  sheet  of  ice.  Radisson 
laughed  grimly  when  we  found  this. 

"  Hold  up,  Davie.  We  must  have  a 
council  here.  Do  you  stop  with  the  dogs." 

I  obeyed,  while  the  others  set  off  in  dif- 
ferent directions  across  the  ice.  They 
returned  quickly  enough,  and  with  their 
first  words  I  knew  that  the  trail  was  lost. 

"  They  have  scattered  on  the  ice,"  spoke 
up  Swift  Arrow.  "  Three  parties  have 
gone  away  from  the  farther  shore." 

Radisson  nodded,  his  deep  eyes  searching 
the  trees  around  us. 

"  Then  how  do  we  know  which  to  fol- 
low?" I  cried  in  dismay.  "Which  party 
took  the  sled  with  them?" 

"  That  we  know  not  lad,"  he  made 
answer  as  if  to  a  child.  "  They  have  fol- 
lowed after  the  sled,  hiding  its  track.  It 
might  be  with  any  of  the  three  parties. 
They  will  swing  out  in  a  wide  circle  and 
then  straight  for  the  hills.  No  matter 
which  we  follow,  we  lose  time.  An  ex- 
cellent trick  to  fool  children  with,  chief." 

The  Keeper  merely  grunted,  while  I 
stared  at  them  aghast.  Why  did  Radisson 
take  this  so  calmly?  But  he  gave  me  no 
time  to  question. 

"Did   you   find   it?"   he   asked   the    Mo- 


hawks simply.     Swift  Arrow  made  answer. 

"  The  Mighty  One's  trail  goes  alone.  It 
goes  toward  the  east,  where  lies  the  shadow 
of  the  Ghost  Hills." 

Then  in  a  flash  I  saw  it  all.  Radisson 
proposed  to  abandon  the  Chippewa  trails 
and  follow  that  of  the  beast !  The  belief 
that  the  animal  had  been  sent  to  guide  us 
had  overpowered  all  his  woodcraft  and 
subtlety,  and  I  flung  out  at  him  in  wild 
protest. 

"  It  is  madness !"  I  concluded  angrily. 
"  Better  to  lose  time  and  still  be  on  the 
track  of  the  enemy,  than  to  follow  a 
wandering  beast !" 

"  Rail  not  against  the  wisdom  of  old 
men,"  exclaimed  Radisson  sternly,  his  voice 
ringing  with  confidence.  "  The  Mighty 
One  is  guiding  us,  Davie.  Do  you  lead, 
Keeper,  while  we  come  after.  We  must 
break  trail  now,  and  it  will  be  no  light 
labor. 

Raging  against  the  old  man's  madness, 
for  so  I  deemed  it,  I  set  out  with  The 
Keeper  to  break  trail.  The  Moose  plunged 
straight  ahead  for  the  Hills,  and  his  long 
legs  had  sunk  almost  to  the  shoulder  at 
every  step.  I  wondered  how  far  ahead  of 
us  he  might  be,  and  when  The  Keeper 
knelt  down  quickly  to  smell  the  trail  I 
knew  that  we  must  be  close  upon  him. 

The  fortitude  and  strength  that  dwelt  in 
the  frame  of  the  old  chief  was  marvellous. 
We  broke  the  trail  by  turns,  our  shoes 
stamping  deep  down  through  the  soft  crust 
at  each  step,  until  it  required  every  ounce  of 
endurance  we  possessed  to  keep  on  with 
the  labor.  Miles  of  it,  hours  of  it,  passed 
by,  and  still  we  kept  on  at  the  same  ter- 
rific pace.  At  times  Radisson  and  Swift 
Arrow  relieved  us,  but  ever  we  headed 
straight  for  the  Ghost  Hills,  whose  tree- 
clad  and  rocky  summits  now  rose  clear 
against  the  lambent  sky.  As  we  went,  I 
began  to  fall  into  Radisson's  way  of  think- 
ing. Perhaps,  after  all,  that  uncanny 
Moose  was  leading  us,  guiding  us  straight 


62 


THE    CONQUEST. 


to  our  goal.  And  whether  it  were  the  si- 
lence of  these  waste  and  desolate  barrens 
around,  or  some  inner  feeling  of  the  night, 
I  gained  confidence  that  He  who  in  truth 
led  us  would  not  let  harm  come  to  the  little 
maid. 

It  seemed  hours  before  we  rested  again, 
and  this  time  I  flung  myself  down  on  a 
skin  from  the  sled,  huddling  among  the 
dogs  for  warmth,  and  slept.  Those  three 
old  men  must  have  been  made  of  iron,  for 
when  I  awakened  I  saw  The  Keeper  sitting 
just  as  I  had  left  him,  alert  and  keen-eyed 
as  ever,  while  Swift  Arrow  and  Radisson 
were  talking  in  low  tones. 

The  poor  brutes  that  hauled  the  sled 
suffered  even  more  than  we  did.  They 
were  worn  to  death,  and  before  we  started 
out  again,  having  fed  them  what  we  dared 
from  our  slender  stock  of  food,  we  cut  up 
our  single  robe  which  had  covered  the  guns, 
and  bound  their  bleeding  feet  as  best  we 
might.  They  fell  to  the  trail  limping,  but 
there  must  have  been  something  of  the 
Indian  stolidity  in  them,  for  all  that  long 
march  I  heard  no  cry,  no  whimper,  burst 
from  their  throats. 

Now,  for  the  first  time,  I  thought  of 
Grim.  What  had  happened  to  him?  Where 
was  he?  At  my  questions  Radisson  smiled. 

"  He  is  faithful  still,  lad.  They  said  in 
the  village  that  he  defended  Ruth  until  Gib 
would  have  killed  him,  when  the  lass  con- 
sented to  go  with  them  to  save  his  life. 
Grim  stayed  ever  at  her  side,  and  is  like 
enough  with  her  now." 

This  cheered  me  mightily,  small  hope 
though  it  were.  Well  I  knew  the  wiliness 
of  that  old  sheep-dog,  and  that  while  Ruth 
was  endangered  he  would  watch  over  her 
even  as  my  father  would  have  done.  When 
I  took  up  the  weary  labor  again  it  was  with 
better  heart  and  more  confident  spirit  than 
since  the  start. 

Now  we  knew  that  we  could  not  be  far 
from  the  end  of  the  terrible  journey.  Or 
at  least  my  three  comrades  knew  it,  for  I 


refused  to  admit  that  there  was  aught  save 
madness  in  keeping  to  the  moose-track.  The 
snatch  of  sleep  and  food  had  cleared  my 
mind  from  the  influence  of  the  night,  and 
as  we  slapped  on  over  the  snows  I  railed 
bitterly  at  myself  for  ever  having  con- 
sented to  it. 

Slowly  the  hills  ahead,  purple  in  the  un- 
earthly, flitting  lights,  drew  closer  and 
towered  ahead  of  us.  Slowly  the  wide  ex- 
panse of  snow  broke  into  little  rises,  then 
we  found  ourselves  among  the  first  of  the 
Ghost  Hills.  Before  long  I  knew  why  they 
had  received  that  name. 

They  seemed  to  break  straight  out  of  the 
ground — great  masses  of  black  rock  like 
that  on  the  coast  below  Rathesby,  at  home. 
As  we  drew  among  them,  still  following 
that  gigantic  track  left  plain  for  us  to  read, 
I  saw  that  despite  the  heavy  snow  the  black 
masses  of  rock  stood  out  bare  and  bleak, 
closing  around  us  and  shutting  out  the 
lights  above. 

The  trail  led  downward  now — down  in  a 
winding  line  among  the  towering  crags,  and 
we  were  passing  over  still  deeper  snow, 
which  had  drifted  from  the  hills.  As  we 
wound  through  the  dark  passages  a  swift, 
chill  wind  smote  us  and  cut  to  the  marrow. 
It  was  not  my  first  taste  of  the  bitter  wind 
of  the  Northland,  which  is  infinitely  harder 
to  endure  than  the  most  silent  cold,  how- 
ever great  it  may  be. 

Thus  we  were  literally  swallowed  up  in 
that  terrible  abyss  of  rock  and  snow,  and 
the  weird  feeling  of  the  place  affected  even 
our  dogs,  who  growled  and  shivered.  All 
was  dead  silent,  except  for  the  rush  and 
howl  of  the  wind,  which  seemed  to  shoot 
down  through  those  narrow  pits  of  dark- 
ness, until  we  could  with  difficulty  stand 
against  it.  From  somewhere  ahead  droned 
out  the  long,  eerie  howl  of  a  wolf,  drifting 
to  us  on  the  wind.  I  saw  Swift  Arrow, 
ahead  of  me,  pause  and  throw  up  his  head; 
then  into  the  teeth  of  the  gale  he  cast  an 
answering  howl — one  as  perfect  as  the 


THE    CONQUEST. 


63 


other,  which  drew  a  sharp  yelp  from  the 
dogs.  By  this  time  I  comprehended  how  on 
board  the  "  Lass  "  Radisson  had  so  amazed 
and  shamed  us  all,  and  had  even  learned  a 
little  of  the  mimicry  myself. 

It  \vas  fearful  to  drive  ahead  through 
that  gale,  which  sent  the  icy  particles  of 
snow  against  us  like  tiny  knives,  and  to 
know  that  outside  and  above,  the  night  was 
silent  and  windless.  Indeed,  there  was 
never  any  rest  within  the  Ghost  Hills,  and 
I  could  well  realize  why  the  Indians 
dreaded  and  avoided  them. 

By  now  I  was  more  than  ever  sure  that 
we  were  not  only  on  the  wrong  track,  but 
that  this  Mighty  One  was  sent  by  the  foul 
fiend  to  lead  us  astray  and  into  danger  of 
the  worst.  The  passage  of  those  hills  was 
terrible  to  the  body  and  to  the  soul.  As 
we  drew  deeper  into  the  darkness,  weird 
echoes  were  set  flying  by  our  shoes  and  the 
wind  and  the  voices  of  us.  These  were  not 
borne  past,  but  seemed  to  eddy  up  overhead, 
as  though  some  flux  of  the  wind  caught 
and  whirled  them  back  toward  us. 

The  Keeper  had  been  in  the  lead,  Radis- 
son following.  Of  a  sudden,  as  we  came 
to  a  space  somewhat  lighter,  I  saw  that  the 
chief  had  vanished !  I  uttered  a  single  cry 
that  rebounded  about  in  mad  echoes,  but 
Swift  Arrow  gripped  me  as  I  turned  in 
terror. 

"  Peace !  Ta-cha-noon-tia  has  but  gone 
ahead  to  see  what  lies  before." 

With  the  calm  words  my  fear  passed, 
and  I  was  ashamed.  After  all,  we  were  in 
the  hand  of  God,  and  if  He  willed  that 
evil  should  come  to  us,  then  it  would  come. 
So  I  quelled  my  terror  and  pressed  on 
after  the  sledge.  A  moment  more,  and  the 
passage  was  done  with. 

Turning  the  corner  of  a  sharp  cliff,  we 
found  ourselves  out  in  the  night  again, 
standing  on  a  ridge  of  bare  black  rock.  At 
our  side  stood  The  Keeper.  Behind  towered 
those  terrible  cliffs,  but  ahead  was  a  little 
forested  basin,  alight  with  the  fires  of  the 


sky  and  stretching  ahead  to  hills  in  the 
distance.  Radisson  turned  to  the  Mohawk 
with  a  question. 

"  My  father,  the  tracks  of  the  Mighty 
One  are  lost  and  I  do  not  see  them.  But 
below  us  are  the  lodges  of  warriors." 

I  looked  again  at  the  stretch  of  wooded 
country.  Sure  enough,  I  could  see  black 
groups  of  something  that  might  well  be 
huts  or  lodges,  but  there  was  no  sign  of 
fire  to  cheer  us. 

"  The  Mighty  One  has  led  us  well," 
shouted  Radisson  triumphantly.  "  We  have 
arrived  before  them  we  seek !  Let  us  rest, 
brothers,  and  make  merry,  for  we  are  mas- 
ters of  the  stronghold  of  The  Pike,  and  his 
fate  is  in  our  hands  !" 

So  for  the  rest  of  that  night  we  lay 
in  the  snow  behind  the  ledge,  while  over 
us  the  wind  howled  down  into  the  cleft  of 
rocks,  and  around  us  the  poor  weary  dogs 
huddled  in  shivering  groups,  for  we  dared 
light  no  fire,  and  had  like  to  have  frozen 
in  the  great  cold.  But  the  Moose  had  led 
us  aright,  and  the  madness  of  Radisson  was 
justified — in  part. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

OUTGENERALED. 

IT  was  not  far  from  dawn  when  we  ar- 
rived at  the  ridge,  or  ledge  that  ran 
along  the  cliffs,  with  an  easy  descent 
over  the  rolling  snows  to  the  basin  beneath. 
But  as  the  dancing  dead  men  paled  in  the 
skies,  the  cold  became  too  bitter  for  any  of 
us.  It  was  necessary  that  we  light  a  fire 
to  keep  from  perishing,  and  the  two  Mo- 
hawks disappeared  to  right  and  left.  It 
was  so  cold  that  sleep  was  impossible,  weary 
as  we  were. 

However,  The  Keeper  returned  and  mo- 
tioned to  us  that  we  should  accompany 
him,  and  in  a  few  moments  we  were 


64 


THE    CONQUEST. 


gathered  in  a  deep  cleft  amid  the  rocks, 
to  one  side  of  the  terrible  passage  by 
which  we  had  come.  Here  The  Arrow  met 
us  with  some  dry  wood  and  birch-bark,  and 
before  long  we  were  gathered  about  a 
smokeless  fire,  which  at  least  served  to 
permit  of  our  sleeping. 

With  one  of  us  on  watch  at  a  time,  the 
day  passed  away.  After  noon,  I  was 
wakened  and  placed  on  guard  at  the  crest 
of  the  ridge,  overlooking  the  basin.  A 
little  later,  I  saw  a  number  of  moving  ob- 
jects off  to  the  west,  and  speedily  wakened 
my  companions,  with  a  great  relief  and 
joy  in  my  heart.  The  Mighty  One  had  led 
us  aright !  Doubtless  he  himself  had  for 
years  made  his  home  in  these  hills  where 
he  was  safe  from  man,  and  by  following 
his  trail  we  had  chanced  on  a  short  cut  to 
the  heart  of  the  Ghost  Hills,  while  the 
Chippewa  band  had  been  forced  to  take  a 
longer  trail. 

The  moving  objects  resolved  themselves 
into  the  forms  of  men  as  they  drew  nearer, 
clear  and  distinct  in  that  atmosphere 
which  seemed  to  bring  all  things  close  to 
us.  We  watched  silently,  each  knowing 
that  the  others  perceived  all,  and  could 
make  out  a  sled  with  some  dark  object  on 
it.  There  were  barely  a  dozen  men  in  the 
party,  so  we  knew  the  others  had  taken  a 
longer  detour  in  order  to  throw  off  and  delay 
pursuit,  and  would  doubtless  arrive  later. 

"What  will  we  do?"  I  murmured  to 
Radisson.  "  We  have  little  food,  yet  we 
cannot  make  an  attack  on  them." 

He  turned  to  the  Mohawks,  and  the  three 
old  men  spoke  for  a  few  moments  in  the 
Iroquois  tongue.  Meanwhile,  the  Chip- 
pewa party  had  come  nigh  the  huts,  and 
presently  I  could  see  the  light  flare  of  fire- 
smoke  rising  from  the  midst.  At  the  dis- 
tance, it  was  impossible  to  make  out  form 
or  feature,  yet  I  had  no  doubt  that  the 
burden  lifted  from  the  sled,  and  the  dark 
dot  beside  it,  were  Ruth  and  the  faithful 
Grim. 


"  It  is  hard  to  tell,"  said  Radisson  in 
French,  his  fine  face  wrinkled  in  perplexity. 
"  We  cannot  make  an  open  attack,  for  that 
fiend  Larue  would  kill  the  little  maid 
sooner  than  give  her  up.  It  is  plain  that 
they  fear  no  enemy,  since  they  are  in  the 
open  and  that  smoke  could  be  seen  afar. 

"  There  are  a  score  of  them  still  out.  and 
it  must  be  that  they  do  not  fear  Uchichak's 
men.  Possibly  they  have  come  along  a  trail 
that  Swift  Arrow  discovered  and  followed 
last  year.  He  says  it  could  be  defended 
by  a  few  against  an  army.  I  see  naught  to 
do  save  to  wait  until  night,  and  try  to  steal 
down  and  get  the  little  maid.  Could  we 
but  get  her  up  here,  we  might  defend  that 
pass  behind  us  against  a  thousand." 

Swift  Arrow  grunted  approval.  "  The 
Crees  cannot  break  through  the  western 
trail,"  he  said.  "  They  grow  faint  at  the 
sight  of  blood.  The  Chippewas  are  women, 
also.  To-night  we  will  steal  down  and 
take  away  Yellow  Lily." 

I  thought  over  his  words,  as  I  gazed  on 
the  encampment  below.  If  he  was  right, 
we  might  expect  no  aid,  for  that  terrible 
gulf  through  which  we  had  come  was  un- 
known to  all  men,  and  the  trail  followed 
by  Gib  was  doubtless  secured  against  the 
Crees.  But  if  only  Uchichak — 

"  Listen  !"  I  cried  out  with  the  thought 
blazing  in  me.  "  We  are  but  four,  and 
three  of  us  could  hold  the  mouth  of  that 
gully — even  this  whole  crest.  I  cannot 
drive  dogs,  nor  do  I  know  the  ways  of  the 
trail  well  enough;  but  Swift  Arrow  or  The 
Keeper  could  take  the  sled  and  drive  back, 
bringing  Uchichak  and  his  men  by  the  trail 
of  the  Mighty  One.  Then  to-night  you 
and  the  remaining  Mohawks  can  attempt 
the  rescue  of  Ruth." 

Radisson  considered  the  matter  in  silence, 
glanced  at  the  impassive  chiefs,  and  re- 
ceived a  grunt  which  tokened  approval. 
Writh  no  more  parley,  Great  Swift  Arrow 
drew  down  his  fur  hood  and  picked  up  the 
thong  which  served  as  a  dog-whip. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


65 


"  I  will  go,"  he  declared  calmly  as  ever. 
"  I  will  find  you  waiting  in  the  pass?" 

"  In  the  pass,"  echoed  Radisson. 

Without  more  ado,  the  dogs,  snarling  and 
protesting,  were  forced  into  the  harness, 
The  Arrow  cracked  his  whip,  and  he  was 
gone  along  the  ridge  toward  the  mouth 
of  the  pass,  as  if  the  long  trip  before  him 
was  no  more  than  a  pleasure  excursion. 
He  had  left  the  guns,  all  save  one,  together 
with  most  of  the  dried  meat. 

Radisson  and  I  went  forth  to  a  group 
of  pines  which  grew  in  the  shelter  of  the 
ridge,  and  when  we  returned  with  some 
store  of  dry  wood  we  found  The  Keeper 
curled  up  asleep.  The  Indians  seemed  to 
have  the  power  of  sleep  whenever  they 
wished,  and  Radisson  chuckled. 

"  Do  you  keep  guard,  lad,  while  I  sleep 
also.  Wake  me  at  midday." 

I  nodded,  for  I  felt  no  great  need  of 
sleep,  and  the  old  man  sat  down  beside  his 
friend,  feet  to  the  fire.  I  left  the  cranny 
in  the  rocks  and  went  forth  a  few  paces 
into  the  sunlight's  warmth,  where  I  could 
overlook  the  encampment  of  The  Pike. 
Here,  crouched  down  in  hiding,  I  set  my- 
self to  wait  as  patiently  as  might  be  until 
the  appointed  time  should  pass. 

The  camp  below  was  too  far  away  for 
any  sound  to  reach  us,  but  from  the  absence 
of  all  sign  of  life  I  gathered  that  the  Chip- 
pewas  were  resting  after  their  terrific 
march.  I  felt  none  of  the  Mohawk's  con- 
tempt for  them;  indeed,  they  seemed  to 
me  to  be  men  to  be  reckoned  with  to  the 
utmost,  and  as  for  Gib  o'  Clarclach,  I  had 
already  experienced  enough  of  his  craft  to 
know  that  he  was  no  mean  foe. 

Toward  midday  I  saw  a  number  of  dark 
forms  appear  to  the  westward,  and  as  they 
drew  near  there  came  a  faint  barking  of 
dogs  down  the  wind.  There  were  a  scant 
half-dozen  men  in  the  arriving  party,  and 
the  others  turned  out  to  meet  them,  after 
which  all  disappeared  within  the  huts. 
Plainly,  Gib  considered  that  half  a  score 


men  were  enough  to  guard  the  western 
trail,  which  showed  that  it  must  be  well- 
nigh  impassable  to  Uchichak. 

Then  weariness  came  upon  me,  and  I 
awoke  Radisson,  who  yielded  me  his  place 
beside  the  fire.  Covering  my  head.  I  was 
soon  fast  asleep  despite  the  cold,  and  when 
I  woke  again  it  was  to  find  the  day  all  but 
spent  and  The  Keeper  gone. 

"  Eat  as  little  as  may  be,  Davie,"  said 
Radisson  as  I  warmed  some  of  the  frozen 
meat  before  the  fire.  "  We  have  none  too 
much  to  last  us." 

So  I  scarce  touched  the  little  supply  of 
food.  There  was  no  more  to  be  had  unless 
we  retraced  our  steps  into  the  Barren 
Places,  or  descended  into  the  forested  basin 
to  seek  the  game  that  must  be  plentiful 
there.  Indeed,  as  I  later  learned,  the  place 
was  thick  with  game,  for  the  animals  knew 
well  that  here  they  were  safe  from  hunters. 

The  Keeper,  it  seemed,  was  scouting.  I 
marvelled  how  the  old  chief  could  venture 
forth,  but  Radisson  explained  that  the  Chip- 
pewas  seemed  to  keep  but  a  slight  watch, 
and  for  all  my  gazing  I  could  see  no  signs 
of  the  Mohawk. 

"  How  long,  think  you,  ere  Swift  Arrow 
comes  upon  the  Crees?" 

Radisson  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  No 
telling,  lad.  He  would  not  have  gone 
through  to  the  outside  before  noon  at  the 
earliest,  and  the  dogs  were  sore  spent.  If 
he  should  chance  upon  them  to  the  west- 
ward, he  might  be  here  by  morning;  but 
it  may  well  be  two  or  three  days  until  their 
arrival.  Wre  must  be  far  from  the  trail  of 
The  Pike." 

This  was  scant  consolation,  and  so  we 
waited  in  silence.  Still  came  no  sign  of 
The  Keeper,  and  soon  the  Spirits  of  the 
Dead  were  dancing  to  the  north,  faintly.  It 
must  have  been  that  age  had  dimmed  the 
cunning  of  Radisson,  for  as  I  foolishly 
placed  more  wood  on  the  fire,  he  made  no 
comment.  Suddenly  from  out  of  the  dark- 
ness came  a  swift  stream  of  words,  angry 


66 


THE    COX  QUEST. 


and  vehement,  in  the  voice  of  The  Keeper. 

The  result  astonished  me,  for  with  one 
swift  leap  Radisson  had  sprung  past  me 
and  was  kicking  the  fire  into  embers  over 
the  snow.  I  was  on  my  feet  instantly, 
staring  amazed  at  the  tall  figure  of  the 
chief. 

"What  is  the  matter?  Surely  our  fire 
could  not  be  seen  from  below?" 

The  Keeper  grunted  sarcastically.  "  Has 
my  father  lost  his  cunning?  Has  White 
Eagle  been  dreaming  the  dreams  of  women  ? 
From  below  the  fire  is  hid,  but  the  re- 
flection of  the  fire  was  high  on  the  cliffs." 

Radisson,  Indian-like,  grunted  disgusted- 
ly, and   finished  the   last  ember   with  his 
heel.     But  he  said  nothing,  merely  looking 
to  the  Mohawk  inquiringly. 

"  There  are  two  tens  of  men,"  reported 
the  Keeper  briefly.  "  The  Pike  is  their 
chief.  Their  lodges  are  old.  The  Yellow 
Lily  is  there,  also  a  woman  of  the  Chippe- 
was.  One  of  their  young  men  I  met, 
gathering  wood." 

He  touched  his  robes,  as  if  beneath  them 
lay  something  concealed.  Radisson's  words 
told  me  what  that  something  was.  The  old 
man  spoke  quite  as  a  matter  of  course. 

"  Then  The  Keeper  will  have  another 
scalp  to  hang  in  the  smoke  of  his  lodge. 
Think  you  they  saw  the  reflection  of  our 
fire?" 

The  Mohawk  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
made  no  reply.  The  two  might  have  been 
discussing  the  weather  or  the  stars  for  all 
the  emotion  they  displayed,  instead  of  the 
vital  danger  which  threatened  us  all.  And 
now  I  began  to  feel  that  the  disdain  ex- 
pressed by  the  two  Mohawks  was  not 
groundless.  They  were  of  another  race  than 
the  chattering  Crees  and  Chippewas.  They 
seemed  to  hold  themselves  aloof,  as  if 
theirs  was  the  heritage  of  more  than  these 
other  men  might  comprehend.  And  truly 
I  think  it  was,  for  there  was  in  the  whole 
bearing  of  The  Keeper  a  great  grimness, 
like  unto  the  grimness  of  Fate,  and  at  times 


since  I  have  wondered  if  he  could  have  seen 
some  hint  of  what  his  end  was  to  be. 

We  were  now  in  darkness,  save  for  the 
rising  gleam  of  the  fires  in  the  sky.  It 
seemed  that  Radisson  and^the  Mohawk  in- 
tended to  wait  until  later  in  the  night 
before  they  stole  down  to  rescue  Ruth.  The 
cold  was  now  intense,  but  despite  my  shiv- 
erings  I  saw  that  both  Radisson  and  the 
Indian  were  listening  to  something  that  I 
could  not  hear.  From  the  trees  below  rose 
a  long  wolf-howl,  answered  faintly  by  the 
voices  of  the  Chippewa  dogs. 

"  That  was  a  poor  cry,  Keeper,"  and 
Radisson  rose  to  his  feet  noiselessly.  Then 
the  snow  crunched  and  crackled,  and  I 
saw  the  two  slipping  into  the  long  shoes. 
One  by  one  the  guns  were  examined  and 
primed  afresh,  and  Radisson  turned  to  me. 

"  We  will  steal  down  and  wait,  lad.  Do 
you  come  to  the  crest-  of  the  ridge,  there 
to  cover  our  retreat  if  need  be." 

Picking  up  the  extra  guns,  I  donned  my 
snowshoes  and  we  stepped  forth  from  the 
shelter  of  the  niche  in  the  cliffs.  Out  to 
the  north  the  sky  was  just  beginning  to 
blaze  in  the  spirit-dance,  and  the  faint 
glimmer  of  light  among  the  trees  betokened 
a  campfire,  while  behind  us  rose  the  gaunt, 
bleak  cliffs.  To  right  and  left  in  a  long 
curve  swept  the  bare-blown,  bowlder-strewn 
ridge,  and  for  a  moment  we  stood  watching. 

On  a  sudden  The  Keeper  whirled  about, 
and  as  he  did  so  I  heard  a  sharp,  clear 
note  behind.  Something  struck  me  and 
bounded  away  from  my  furs,  and  even  as 
the  whistle  of  another  arrow  rang  past, 
Radisson  had  flung  me  from  my  feet.  A 
gunshot  split  the  night,  and  another,  and 
one  lone,  weird  yell  rose  up. 

"Cover,  Davie,  cover!"  cried  Radisson, 
slipping  behind  a  bowlder.  The  Mohawk 
had  clean  vanished,  but  his  voice  quavered 
out  in  a  single  soul-rending  war-cry  such 
as  I  had  never  heard  before.  Then,  gun 
in  hand,  I  was  crouching  beside  Radisson. 

"  That  was  poor  aiming,"  he  muttered. 


"/  lacked  against  the  bowlder  and  shook  them  off,  sending  one  sprawling  with  every  blow." 

67 


68 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  They  should  have  downed  us  at  the  first 
fire,  or  waited  until — ah  !" 

Once  more  a  musket  spoke  from  the  dark- 
ness, and  the  bullet  crashed  on  the  bowlder. 
Radisson  fired  instantly,  then  a  choking  cry 
came  back  to  us.  Now  I  realized  that  Gib 
had  indeed  seen  our  fire  and  with  his  cun- 
ning had  surrounded  us.  Had  he  waited 
until  daylight,  we  had  never  left  that 
ridge  alive,  but  doubtless  the  impatience  of 
his  warriors  had  overruled  his  craftiness. 

"  Wait  here,  lad,"  whispered  Radisson 
as  he  reloaded,  "  while  I  seek  The  Keeper. 
We  must  not  let  daylight  find  us  here." 

If  it  did,  it  would  find  us  frozen,  I 
thought,  while  the  arrows  pattered  around. 
Xo  sign  of  any  foe  had  I  seen,  but  the 
blaze  of  the  heavens  began  to  light  the  dark 
face  of  the  cliff  as  Radisson  crawled  away. 
Above,  nestling  against  the  face  of  the 
cliff,  was  a  patch  of  drifted  snow,  and  as 
my  eyes  grew  accustomed  to  the  light  it 
seemed  to  me  that  across  this  a  shadow 
moved. 

I  set  my  fusil  in  rest,  and  of  a  sudden 
my  trembling  hands  grew  firm  again,  as 
I  drew  a  careful  sight  on  that  patch  of 
snow.  A  shadow  struck  against  it  and 
wavered  there,  and  in  that  instant  I  fired. 
While  the  long  echoes  of  the  shot  died 
away  on  the  farther  cliffs,  something 
crashed  and  was,  silent. 

Before  I  c<5tifd  withdraw  the  gun,  an 
arrow  pierced  my  fur  sleeve  and  quivered 
loosely  in  my  arm.  I  jerked  it  away,  for 
the  hurt  was  but  slight,  and  reloaded. 
Then  came  a  shot  from  somewhere  to  my 
left,  and  again  that  long,  heart-splitting 
yell  of  the  Mohawk  shrilled  up.  It  was 
answered  by  two  sudden  shots,  and  catch- 
ing up  one  of  the  spare  guns  beside  me  I 
fired  at  the  flashes. 

This  drew  on  me  another  shower  of 
arrows,  and  a  bullet  that  spat  into  the 
bowlder  at  my  side  and  rebounded  past 
my  ear.  This  had  come  from  behind,  and 
with  a  sudden  fear  I  turned.  As  I  did  so 


a  yell  that  seemed  to  come  from  the  throats 
of  devils  rang  through  the  night,  and  I  saw 
a  number  of  dark  forms  leaping  upon  me. 
With  swift  terror  in  my  heart,  I  sprang 
up,  forgetting  the  fusils  at  my  feet,  and 
met  them  with  clenched  fists.  I  saw  a  pale 
glint  of  steel  and  struck  out  with  all  my 
strength,  shouting  aloud  for  Radisson.  Then 
my  fear  dropped  away  from  me  as  the  first 
man  went  down  beneath  my  fist,  and  I 
stepped  forward,  raging.  The  leaping,  yell- 
ing demons  seemed  all  about  me,  but  I 
backed  against  the  bowlder  and  shook  them 
off,  sending  one  sprawling  with  every  blow. 
I  caught  the  exultant  voice  of  Gib,  and 
leaped  at  a  dark  form  ahead;  catching  him 
about  the  waist,  I  felt  strength  surge  into 
me  and  heaved  him  high — then  something 
came  down  on  my  head  and  I  fell  asleep 
with  the  sting  of  snow  on  my  face. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A    VOICE    IN   THE    NIGHT. 

I  KNEW  no  more  of  what  passed  until  I 
found  myself  lying  on  a  pile  of  skins, 
my  head  throbbing  painfully.  Opening 
my  eyes,  I  saw  that  I  was  lying  beside  a 
fire,  while  around  me  were  Chippewas,  and 
standing  over  me  was  my  enemy. 

"  Awake,  eh  ?"  said  Gib  softly,  in  the  old 
Gaelic,  which  he  spoke  with  the  Highland 
burr.  There  was  an  evil  smile  on  his 
crafty  face  as  I  struggled  to  sit  up.  For 
a  wonder,  I  was  not  bound,  which  I  sup- 
pose he  did  not  deem  necessary. 

"  You  are  a  troublous  fighter,  MacDon- 
ald,"  he  sneered.  "  But  with  the  great 
Radisson  dead,  you  will  have  hard  work 
to  squeeze  out  of  this  pocket  of  mine." 

"Radisson — dead?"  I  echoed  dizzily. 
The  shock  of  it  cleared  my  head  and  I 
looked  up  at  him.  "  You  lie,  Gib  o'Clar- 
clach !  No  dog  such  as  you  could  slay 


THE    CONQUEST. 


69 


Pierre  Radisson  !  His  fate  lies  in  higher 
hands  than  yours !" 

"  So  ?''  he  snarled,  sudden  rage  whelm- 
ing in  him.  Swiftly,  he  reached  out  and 
kicked  me  with  a  vicious  foot.  I  gathered 
myself  together,  but  brown  hands  gripped 
me  and  held  me  there  helpless,  while  he 
raved  wildly  in  his  madness.  And  by  that 
I  knew  that  he  had  lied,  and  that  Radisson 
was  not  dead.  So  I  laughed  at  him  as 
they  bound  me  hand  and  foot. 

More  than  one  of  his  men  seemed 
wounded  beneath  their  furs,  and  beside  the 
fire  lay  two  silent  warriors.  We  were  in 
the  center  of  the  group  of  lodges,  and  as 
there  were  but  half  a  score  of  men  around 
me.  I  gathered  that  the  rest  were  scattered 
through  the  trees  on  watch.  There  was  no 
sign  of  Ruth,  and  with  that  I  set  myself 
to  taunt  mine  enemy,  speaking  in  the  Cree 
which  all  his  men  doubtless  could  under- 
stand. 

"  You  are  a  fine  leader  of  men,  my 
brother !  Well  were  you  called  The  Pike — 
crafty,  cowardly  warrior  who  shuns  the 
shallow  water !  See,  in  our  village  lies 
your  chief  Soan-ge-ta-ha,  while  our  women 
laugh  at  him,  and  in  the  snow  lies  one  of 
his  young  men,  dead.  The  Cree  knives  are 
sharpened,  my  brothers,  and  with  them  are 
the  knives  of  Radisson,  the  White  Eagle, 
and  of  his  friends,  the  Brothers  of  the 
Thunder."  For  this  was  the  name  by 
which  the  two  Mohawks  went  in  all  that 
north  country. 

My  words,  as  they  were  designed,  sent 
a  swirl  of  rage  through  the  Chippewas, 
who  with  a  growl  turned  on  Gib.  But  he, 
the  crafty  one,  appeased  them  swiftly. 

"  Brave  Heart  is  not  hurt,  my  brothers," 
he  cried.  "  My  medicine  tells  me  that  he 
is  even  now  on  his  way  to  join  us.  As  for 
you,  Brave  Eyes,  you  lie.  The  White  Eagle 
has  no  men  with  him — only  the  tall  Mo- 
hawk chief." 

"  Yes,  mayhap,"  I  answered,  "but  these 
twain  are  more  than  a  match  for  your 


Chippewa  women.  You  stole  upon  our  vil- 
lage, and  what  gained  you  ?  Only  one  poor 
captive.  It  was  a  great  raid,  worthy  of 
The  Pike,  and  you  have  paid  for  it  dearly 
with  your  chief  and  your  young  men.  And 
the  White  Eagle  is  sharpening  his  claws, 
my  brothers — out  there  in  the  night  some- 
where." 

My  words  reached  them,  and  more  than 
my  words.  For  barely  had  I  finished,  when 
the  darkness  was  split  asunder  by  a  musket- 
shot.  The  man  beside  Gib  whirled  about 
and  fell  into  the  fire. 

"  Scatter  !"  foamed  Gib,  raging.  "  Scat- 
ter and  slay  the  White  Eagle,  fools !  Out 
with  the  fire !" 

The  embers  were  dashed  over  the  snows 
instantly,  and  under  his  rapid  orders  the 
band  vanished.  Two  of  them  remained  to 
lift  me,  and  they  carried  me  to  the  door 
of  one  of  the  lodges,  a  little  apart  from 
the  rest.  Gib  flung  away  the  flap,  and  by 
the  light  of  the  lodge-fire  inside  I  saw  the 
pale,  frightened  face  of  Ruth. 

"  What  means  this  intrusion  ?"  she  de- 
manded in  French,  not  seeing  me.  "  I 
thought  we  were  to  remain  unmolested !" 

The  scoundrel  tendered  her  a  low,  mock- 
ing bow,  and  stepped  aside  to  show  my 
figure,  as  the  two  braves  flung  me  at  her 
feet.  She  gave  but  a  little  frighted  cry,  and 
stood  facing  him. 

"  A  meeting  of  old  fr JM^S,  Mistress  de 
Courbelles."  It  was  the  first  time  I  had 
heard  Ruth's  name  from  other  than  the  lips 
of  Radisson.  "  How  could  I  separate  such 
dearly  loved  ones  ?  See,  I  bring  you  a 
visitor  of  great  value,  and  ere  long  you 
will  have  others.  So  I  bid  you  good-even." 
With  this  he  bowed  again  and  was  gone. 
Outside  came  his  voice  giving  sharp  orders, 
and  all  was  still.  But  Ruth  sprang  for- 
ward and  was  on  her  knees  beside  me. 

"  My  poor  Davie !"  she  cried,  lifting  my 
head  in  her  arms.  "  Some  water,  Laugh- 
ing Snow !" 

From  out  the  shadows  moved  the  figure 


70 


THE    CONQUEST. 


of  a  Cree  woman — a  sister  of  Uchichak's, 
whom  the  Chippewas  had  carried  away  to 
care  for  Ruth.  She  brought  water,  and  the 
two  of  them  bathed  my  wounded  head, 
where  I  had  been  struck  down  from  be- 
hind. As  they  did  so,  I  told  them  all  that 
had  passed. 

"  It  was  the  night  after  you  and  The 
Crane  left  for  the  hunt,"  Ruth  told  me, 
"  that  the  Chippewas  came.  For  a  little 
while  the  old  men  held  them  off,  which 
gave  most  of  the  women  time  to  flee.  I 
had  just  left  my  lodge  to  find  the  cause 
of  the  shouting  when  Gib's  party  broke 
through.  They  seized  me,  set  fire  to  the 
lodges,  and  were  gone  again.  Oh,  they 
treated  me  kindly  enough,  Davie,  but — but 
I  cannot  bear  that  smiling,  evil  face  of 
Gib!" 

"  Be  not  afraid,  sister,"  spoke  out  the 
Cree  woman,  stolidly.  "  The  Crane  is  a 
great  warrior,  and  his  men  must  be  very 
near.  These  Chippewa  women  will  flee  be- 
fore him  like  leaves  before  the  wind  of 
autumn." 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  Gib's  plans  were  all 
upset  by  Brave  Heart,"  I  tried  to  reassure 
the  little  maid  bravely  enough.  "  But  for 
him,  and  for  the  Mighty  One,  we  had  never 
been  here,  Ruth.  As  it  is,  the  Swift  Arrow 
will  bring  Uchichak  and  his  men." 

"  We  have  been  foolish,"  declared  Laugh- 
ing Snow  bitterly^  She  went  on  to  tell  us 
how,  years  ago,  it  had  been  rumored  that 
men  lived  in  the  Ghost  Hills.  By  piecing 
together  the  fragments  of  Radisson's  tales 
and  this  of  hers,  Ruth  and  I  gathered  that 
Gib  o'  Clarclach  had  maintained  a  sort  of 
robber  band  in  these  dreaded  hills  in  the 
old  days,  when  French  and  English  were 
at  war  on  the  Bay.  Gib  had  afterwards, 
when  Radisson  dwelt  in  England,  made 
the  journey  from  the  Canadas  with  d'lber- 
ville  and  his  raiders,  and  had  guided  them 
to  the  English  posts  when  the  French 
swept  them  clean.  The  villain  had  served 
both  sides,  lending  himself  wherever  the 


more  gain  promised,  and  the  Cree  woman 
prophesied  that  once  these  things  were 
known  in  the  land,  her  people  would  make 
a  war  on  the  Chippewas  that  would  go 
down  in  fable  long  afterwards.  So  indeed 
they  did,  but  these  things  came  in  after 
years  and  have  no  part  in  this  my  tale. 

There  was  little  sleep  for  us  that  night. 
We  had  all  rested  during  the  day.  I  high 
on  the  ridge,  and  Ruth  in  the  lodge,  for 
the  trip  had  been  a  hard  one.  The  two 
women  told  how  they  had  come  through 
deep  gorges,  like  those  by  which  we  had 
followed  the  Mighty  One.  and  how  they 
had  given  up  all  hope  of  rescue. 

Now  came  something  which  has  ever 
left  a  great  wonder  in  my  mind — one  of 
those  turns  of  chance  which  come  in  the 
most  desperate  straits.  For,  when  my  bonds 
had  been  removed,  Ruth  took  from  its  skin 
wrappings  a  little  book  and  showed  it  to 
me. 

''  I  found  this  in  the  lodge,"  she  said 
slowly.  "  Look  upon  the  title-page,  Davie, 
and  see  if  I  have  been  dreaming  or  not. 
It  seems  very  hard  to  beieve." 

The  book  was  a  little  leather-bound 
Bible.  As  the  Cree  woman  put  a  flare  of 
birch  on  the  fire,  I  held  it  to  the  light  and 
opened  it.  There  in  faded  ink  were  words 
written,  and  I  copy  them  from  the  Book 
which  lies  before  me  as  I  write.  They 
were  in  the  Dutch  tongue,  and  as  follows : 

"  To  Hendrik,  to  bear  with  him 
always  in  the  desert  places,  that  he 
may  make  straight  in  the  wilderness 
a  highway  for  our  God.  From  his 
beloved  wife.  A.  D.  1605." 

And  under  this,  in  a  firm  writing  that 
bespoke  strength,  were  the  English  words, 
"  Henry  Hudson,  his  book."  I  stared 
again,  scarce  crediting  the  thing,  then 
looked  up  to  meet  the  grave,  fearful  eyes 
of  Ruth.  We  had  both  heard  the  story 
many  a  time — how  the  bold  sailor  had  been 


THE    CONQUEST. 


71' 


set  adrift  in  an  open  boat,  with  his  son 
and  a  few  faithful  ones,  and  how  they 
had  vanished.  Just  a  century  since,  1610, 
had  this  thing  taken  place,  and  no  word 
had  ever  come  to  England  of  Henry  Hud- 
son, through  all  the  years  between. 

"  Then,"  I  almost  whispered,  "  think  you 
that  this  was  really  his?  How  came  it 
here?" 

"  It  speaks  for  itself,"  and  Ruth  dropped 
beside  me  and  fingered  the  Book  reverently. 
"  Think  of  it,  Davie !  In  the  midst  of  the 
wilderness,  in  the  midst  of  foes,  to  come 
into  an  empty  lodge  and  find  this  thing ! 
Does  it  not  seem  like  a  message  of  faith 
and  hope?" 

"  As  to  that,"  I  responded,  "  like  enough. 
But  I  was  thinking  on  the  marvel  of  it, 
Ruth.  It  must  even  be  that  Hudson,  who 
was  thought  to  have  perished  in  the  waters 
of  the  Great  Bay,  escaped  to  land.  Else 
how  could  this  Bible  have  come  here?  How 
could  Gib  have  obtained  it?  Perhaps  from 
the  Indians." 

With  this  I  turned  to  Laughing  Snow 
and  questioned  her  closely.  But  she  dis- 
claimed all  knowledge  of  the  Book,  and 
said  that  never  before  the  coming  of  Radis- 
son  had  white  faces  been  seen  in  the 
northern  lands. 

For  a  time  we  discussed  the  wonder, 
failing  to  gain  any  information  from  the 
Cree  woman,  but  my  bandaged  head  hurt 
painfully,  and  after  the  first  surprise  I 
leaned  back,  faint  and  weak.  Then  Ruth 
took  the  little  volume,  warped  and  stained 
with  time  and  sea-water,  and  read  to  us 
aloud.  As  she  read,  she  translated  into 
Cree  for  the  benefit  of  the  other. 

I  was  quite  content  to  lie  silently  and 
gaze  at  her.  Very  beautiful  she  seemed 
there  in  the  faint  fire-glow,  which  tinged 
her  golden  hair  with  ruddy  hues  and 
likened  her  grave,  sweet  face  with  the  rise 
and  fall  of  the  flames.  Her  heavy  beaver- 
skins  were  laid  aside,  and  her  inner  dress 
of  soft  doeskin  was  decorated  with  the 


beautifully  marked  neck-skins  of  loons, 
which  Radisson  had  brought  her.  Porcu- 
pine quills  and  shell  beads  fringed  her 
moccasins,  while  at  her  throat  gleamed  that 
same  little  gold  brooch  which  had  led  us 
so  far  and  brought  upon  us  so  much 
trouble. 

Through  all  our  journeys  I  had  kept  by 
me  that  stained  and  torn  fragment  of  my 
father's  Bible,  and  when  she  had  done  I 
wrapped  it  up  again  in  the  skin  with  the 
volume  that  had  been  Henry  Hudson's,  and 
gave  them  into  the  keeping  of  Ruth.  Barely 
had  we  settled  back  when  the  skin  flap 
was  pushed  aside,  and  once  more  Gib  o' 
Clarclach  entered. 

"  I  would  have  some  speech  with  you, 
David,"  he  announced,  no  longer  smiling, 
but  purposeful  and  shrewd.  Closing  the  door 
to  keep  out  the  cold,  he  seated  himself  on 
some  skins  and  stared  at  me  across  the 
fire.  I  made  him  no  answer. 

"  My  young  friend,  these  Chippewas  of 
mine,  I  keenly  regret,  are  not  used  to  the 
customs  of  civilized  war.  Yet  they  are  far 
ahead  of  your  Mohawk  friends,  whom  I 
have  seen  tie  their  captives  to  a  tree  and 
build  a  fire  round  about.  These  Chippewas 
have  another  method,  which  is  quite  as  ef- 
fective; for  instead  of  a  fire,  they  shoot 
arrows  until  the  victim  is  like  a  porcupine 
with  his  quills  erect.  Then  they  shoot  for 
the  heart." 

"  Well,  have  on  your  murderers,"  I  re- 
plied, knowing  well  that  he  dared  not  for 
the  sake  of  Soan-ge-ta-ha.  "  Methinks  their 
chief  will  suffer  if  I  do." 

"  That  is  exactly  the  trouble,  my  bold 
young  friend,"  he  answered  me.  "  Person- 
ally, it  matters  little  to  me  what  becomes 
of  the  chief,  for  he  disobeyed  my  orders. 
But  his  warriors  take  another  view  of  the 
situation.  They  would  have  me  be  fool 
enough  to  turn  you  loose  so  that  their  chief 
may  be  restored  to  them." 

"  Then  they  may  save  their  worry,"  I 
shot  back  bluntly  enough.  "  If  you  want 


72 


THE    CONQUEST. 


Brave  Heart,  give  the  maid  here  back." 

"  Ah,  that  is  impossible,"  his  suave 
answer  irritated  me  the  more.  "  For  her, 
we  are  to  receive  many  fine  gifts  at  the 
Post — beads  and  powder  and  blankets  and 
— other  things.  No,  I  deeply  regret  that  I 
am  unable  to  meet  your  just  demand.  But 
on  the  other  hand,  as  I  was  about  to  propose, 
unless  you  consent  to  parley  with  Radis- 
son  for  the  return  of  the  chief,  my  war- 
riors will  insist  on  using  you  as  a  target." 

Ruth  stared  at  him  with  frighted  eyes, 
but  I  knew  well  enough  that  the  man  spoke 
in  deadly  earnest.  Could  I  have  had  my 
way  of  it.  I  would  have  bade  him  do  his 
worst;  but  a  little  hand  fluttered  down  to 
my  wrist,  and  I  could  not  withstand  the  un- 
spoken appeal  of  Ruth. 

"  Have  it  your  own  way.  then,"  I 
growled.  "  I  suppose  you  would  have  me 
seek  my  friends  at  once  ?" 

"  Xot  till  the  day,  sweet  sir,''  smiled  the 
scoundrel.  "  My  men  are  all  about,  and 
there  is  no  danger  of  your  two  or  three 
eager  friends  inflicting  any  more  damage. 
I  do  not  quite  understand  how  you  got 
in  here,  unless  you  were  hunting — no,  that 
could  not  be  either." 

He  fell  to  musing,  staring  at  me,  where- 
at I  laughed  harshly. 

"  It  was  no  hand  of  man  led  us  here, 
Gib  o'  Clarclach,  make  sure  of  that." 

"  Then  we  will  even  ascribe  it  to  the 
foul  fiend,"  and  he  got  to  his  feet.  "  Good- 
even  for  the  last  time,  mistress !" 

When  he  had  gone  we  sat  silent,  all 
three.  Presently  the  Cree  woman  fell 
asleep  in  her  corner  and  the  fire  slowly 
died  down  to  a  dim  red  glow,  while  Ruth 
and  I  sat  hand  in  hand.  On  the  morrow, 
it  seemed  like,  I  would  go  forth  and 
bargain  for  my  worthless  skin,  leaving 
her  in  the  hands  of  our  enemies.  Bitterly 
I  cursed  myself  for  a  faint-heart,  though  I 
knew  full  well  that  ere  long  Uchichak  and 
his  warriors  would  turn  the  tide  of  affairs. 

The   long  hours  passed,   and   still   I   sat 


sleepless,  Ruth  having  fallen  half  into 
slumber,  her  head  resting  against  my  shoul- 
der. I  was  staring  at  the  skin  wall  of 
the  lodge,  where  it  was  lashed  into  the 
brush  beyond,  and  was  dreaming  again 
of  that  terrible  voyage  and  of  its  ending, 
when  I  started  suddenly.  The  glow  of 
the  embers  had  seemed  to  strike  a  spark 
from  the  wall — a  tiny  point  of  light  that 
moved  across  the  skin ! 

In  a  moment  I  knew  it  was  a  knife- 
blade  slitting  the  tough  hide,  whereat  I 
brought  Ruth  wide  awake.  The  skin  seemed 
to  fall  apart  in  silence,  and  through  it 
glared  a  horrible  painted  mask  and  staring 
eyes.  Ruth  clutched  my  arm,  in  fright,  but 
a  whisper  came  from  the  darkness. 

"  Brave  Eyes  !  Come  swiftly  !"  And  I 
knew  it  for  the  voice  of  The  Keeper. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A     MARTYR    OF    THE    SNOWS. 

IT  was  Ruth  who  woke  me  from  my 
stupid  amazement,  pushing  me  to  my 

feet  as  The  Keeper  whispered  again. 
How  that  crafty  Mohawk  had  pierced  the 
ring  of  Chippewas,  I  never  knew,  but  his 
forest  skill  must  have  been  far  beyond 
theirs.  I  remembered  the  little  buckskin 
bag  of  paint  which  always  hung  at  his 
girdle,  and  knew  that  he  must  have  pre- 
pared himself  according  to  his  own  custom. 

But  my  wits  came  back  to  me  quickly 
enough,  and  I  pushed  Ruth  forward  to  the 
opening,  first  stamping  out  the  embers  lest 
they  betray  us.  As  quietly  as  might  be  I 
helped  her  through  the  narrow  slit,  the 
Mohawk  receiving  us  on  the  other  side,  and 
Grim  following.  Then  we  were  standing  in 
the  shelter  of  a  small  fir,  and  for  a  wonder 
the  skies  were  dark  save  for  the  eternal 
stars.  I  looked  about  for  Radisson,  but  he 
was  not  to  be  seen. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


73 


"  Come  !"  breathed  The  Keeper,  leading 
the  way  through  the  snow.  None  of  us  wore 
snowshoes,  but  the  crust  was  firm  enough 
to  support  us,  with  the  intense  cold  of 
those  nights.  There  was  no  sound  around 
us  save  the  crackle  of  the  frost  as  the 
trees  creaked  in  the  wind,  nor  was  any 
fire  visible. 

Yet  I  knew  that  all  about  us  were  men 
watching  and  listening.  It  seemed  hard- 
ly possible  that  we  should  win  through  to 
the  ridge  where  I  supposed  that  Radisson 
waited,  but  gradually  we  left  the  camp 
behind.  Once  we  were  beyond  the  circle 
of  trees  would  come  the  danger,  although 
the  absence  of  the  lights  seemed  to  protect 
us  somewhat.  We  went  cautiously  and 
slowly,  and  it  must  have  been  fifteen  min- 
utes before  the  trees  thinned  out  around 
us. 

Then,  without  warning,  a  sudden 
streamer  of  flame  quivered  and  hung 
across  the  skies,  and  the  lights  were  danc- 
ing, lighting  up  all  things  in  grotesque 
shadow-gleams.  I  knew  we  were  lost,  even 
before  a  dark  form  bounded  into  the  snow 
before  us  and  a  shrill  yell  went  up  that 
echoed  across  the  night. 

"  Go !"  exclaimed  The  Keeper  in  French, 
pushing  Ruth  ahead.  "  Run  to  the  crest 
yonder,  where  White  Eagle  waits !"  I  sent 
Grim  with  a  quick  word  also. 

Ruth,  with  a  little  sobbing  cry,  obeyed, 
and  the  Mohawk  flung  himself  in  one  great 
leap  on  the  figure  which  was  coming  to- 
ward us.  Steel  flashed  in  the  half-light  and 
the  two  went  down  together.  But  other 
forms  were  yelling  at  our  heels,  and  if 
Ruth  was  to  be  saved  this  was  no  time  to 
run.  We  must  hold  them  back  for  a 
moment  or  two. 

The  Keeper  rose  swiftly  and  put  into  my 
hand  the  heavy  stone  ax  he  had  taken 
from  the  Chippewa.  Then,  gripping  knife 
in  one  hand  and  tomahawk  in  the  other, 
he  waited  at  my  side  as  the  warriors  came 
at  us.  Glancing  around,  I  saw  Ruth's  dark 


figure  vanishing  over  the  snows  toward 
the  ridge ;  as  I  later  learned,  she  thought 
we  were  close  behind  her,  else  had  she 
never  deserted  us. 

"  Xow,  brother !"  grunted  The  Keeper. 
"  Back  to  back  !" 

With  a  swirl  of  snow  the  dark  figures 
were  on  us.  But  the  yells  of  rage  turned 
to  warning  cries  as  that  huge  ax  of  mine 
swung  up  and  down,  and  the  lithe  Mohawk 
used  his  two  hands  with  the  swiftness  of  a 
panther.  They  drew  back,  then  came  at 
us  again ;  this  time  I  knew  the  form  of  The 
Pike  for  their  leader,  and  sprang  out  to 
meet  him  with  my  ax  whirled  aloft. 

He  avoided  my  stroke,  leaping  aside  and 
stooping  in  the  snow.  Ere  I  could  fathom 
his  intent  the  others  were  upon  me,  press- 
ing me  back  to  the  side  of  the  Mohawk. 
They  shrank  be'fore  that  crashing  ax  and 
swift  tomahawk,  and  with  each  blow  I 
caught  an  approving  grunt  from  the  old 
warrior  beside  me.  We  were  ringed  about 
with  dark  forms  in  the  snow,  silent  and 
motionless,  when  I  caught  sight  of  Gib 
again. 

Too  late,  I  saw  his  aim.  He  had  broken 
off  a  huge  section  of  the  snow-crust,  and 
as  I  turned  to  meet  him  he  flung  the  mass 
in  my  face,  blinding  me  and  sending  me 
staggering.  In  vain  did  I  strike  out  blind- 
ly, for  hands  gripped  my  throat  and  bore 
me  back  fighting  furiously  into  the  snow. 
I  heard  a  single  long  yell  from  The  Keeper, 
and  as  I  went  down  saw  a  gleam  of  light 
dart  from  his  hand.  The  tomahawk  whirled 
into  one  of  the  men  who  gripped  me,  but 
it  was  of  no  avail.  I  was  choked  into  help- 
lessness and  when  something  hit  my 
wounded  head,  I  knew  no  more. 

Once  again  I  wakened  to  find  myself 
lying  beside  a  fire,  but  now  it  was  the 
broad  daylight.  My  head  scarcely  pained, 
though  my  throat  was  sore  where  I  had 
been  gripped,  and  I  was  fast  bound.  With 
a  turn  of  the  head  it  was  easy  to  see  all 
that  lay  around. 


74 


THE    CONQUEST. 


At  my  side  was  The  Keeper,  in  similar 
plight  to  mine,  though  his  face  seemed  old 
and  gray  and  sunken  and  his  furs  were  red 
with  frozen  blood.  He  lay  quiet,  his  eyes 
closed,  but  the  sudden  fear  that  he  was  dead 
departed  when  I  saw  the  rise  and  fall  of 
his  breast.  His  painted  face  was  hideous, 
yet  could  not  mask  the  age  and  weakness 
and  strength  of  the  man ;  weak  he  was  in 
body,  wounded  and  spent,  but  his  spirit  was 
as  strong  as  that  of  Pierre  Radisson  him- 
self. 

Sullen  and  cursing,  the  Chippewas  were 
grouped  about  the  fire.  More  than  one  of 
them  lay  helpless,  or  with  rude-bandaged 
wounds,  and  all  were  eying  the  Mohawk 
and  me  with  malignant  ferocity.  But  Ruth 
was  uppermost  in  my  mind.  Had  she 
been  saved  ?  Or  had  The  Keeper's  sacrifice 
been  vain  ? 

Guessing  from  the  sun,  it  was  early 
morning.  I  looked  across  and  up  to  the 
ridge  of  cliffs,  and  imagined  that  I  could 
see  a  thin  trail  of  smoke  ascending. 
Whether  it  were  my  imagination  or  no,  I 
could  not  tell  for  sure :  still,  the  thought 
cheered  me.  At  the  least,  Radisson  must 
be  safe,  and  of  Ruth  I  would  soon  learn. 

But  the  time  dragged  on.  and  by  midday 
intolerable  thirst  consumed  me.  The  Mo- 
hawk had  by  now  come  out  of  his  swoon, 
and  lay  staring  straight  up  into  the  sky, 
nor  did  I  venture  to  bespeak  him.  Present- 
ly there  was  a  stir  about  the  fire,  and  from 
one  of  the  lodges  came  Gib.  Then  he 
entered  that  wherein  Ruth  and  I  had  lain, 
and  came  back  to  us  with  that  little  skin 
package  which  we  had  forgot  in  the  haste 
of  our  flight.  He  unrolled  it  and  laughed 
shortly.  At  a  curt  order  from  him  The 
Keeper  and  I  were  brought  up  sitting, 
against  a  small  hemlock.  But  when  Gib 
had  come  to  that  torn  cover  of  my  father's 
Bible,  his  face  changed  horribly,  and  he 
flung  the  whole  from  him  as  if  it  burnt 
his  hands — as  very  possibly  it  did. 

"  So,   dog  of   an   Iroquois,"   he   snarled 


at  The  Keeper,  his  features  convulsed  with 
rage,  "  it  is  you  whom  I  have  to  thank  for 
the  loss  of  men  and  captive,  eh?  Mori  dc 
ma  vie!  But  you  shall  suffer  for  this,  and 
speedily  !" 

So  he  raged,  cursing  in  French,  Gaelic 
and  a  dozen  more  tongues,  while  the 
Chippewas  silently  and  grimly  made  ready 
their  arrows  and  bows. 

"  You,  MacDonald,"  went  on  Gib  at 
length,  "  shall  see  what  your  fate  will  be 
if  Brave  Heart  be  not  returned  to  us  safe. 
As  for  the  girl,  I  shall  have  her  in  the 
end — and  would  have  her  back  here  ere 
this,  but  there  is  no  place  she  can  flee 
to,  and  my  men  are  athirst  for  revenge." 

From  which  I  judged  shrewdly  enough 
that  the  Chippewas  had  refused  to  face  the 
fire  of  Radisson  from  the  ridge,  after  my 
fall,  and  that  Ruth  had  escaped  to  him. 
This  was  mightily  cheering,  and  now  I 
cared  not  what  took  place,  since  the  little 
maid  was  safe. 

At  word  from  Gib,  two  or  three  of  the 
Chippewas  sprang  forward  and  pulled  The 
Keeper  to  his  feet,  loosing  his  bonds  and 
mine  and  casting  off  his  furs  until  he 
stood  naked  to  the  waist.  The  old  war- 
rior was  scarred  with  new  wounds  and  old. 
and  I  judged  that  he  had  not  gone  down 
in  last  night's  struggle  without  giving  more 
than  one  deathblow.  His  sinewy  bronze 
figure  drew  a  look  of  admiration  from  the 
surrounding  warriors,  and  when  the  power 
of  movement  was  restored  to  him  he 
quietly  leaned  over  and  picked  up  the  little 
Bible  which  had  been  Henry  Hudson's. 

"  So,"  sneered  Gib  at  this,  noting  also 
the  emblem  of  the  Cross  that  hung  around 
the  neck  of  the  old  Mohawk,  "  you  are  of 
the  faith  of  the  blackrobes,  Iroquois?  Say, 
will  you  not  accept  life  and  a  chieftain- 
ship among  the  Chippewas  ?" 

Before  The  Keeper  could  reply  to  the 
Cree  words,  one  of  the  other  warriors 
stepped  forth  and  spoke  in  the  same 
tongue. 


"Still  holding  the  took,  the  old  Mohawk  answered  slowly,  unheeding  the  litter  cold  in  his 

fn-xlt    n-<niiidx." 

75 


76 


THE    CONQUEST. 


"  Old  man,  you  are  a  brave  warrior. 
Last  night  you  fought  well.  Beside  the  fire 
lies  my  older  brother.  His  squaw  will 
mourn  for  him.  You  shall  take  his  place 
at  our  councils,  and  be  a  chief  among  us." 

Quiet  scorn  flashed  into  the  proud,  hag- 
gard face  of  the  old  man,  but  he  said  no 
word,  and  once  again  Gib  taunted  him  with 
his  creed. 

"  Give  up  that  thing  about  your  neck, 
Iroquois.  fling  that  book  into  the  snow, 
and  you  shall  be  a  great  man  among  us  and 
saved  from  the  torture.  How  say  you? 
What  avails  your  faith  now?  Is  it  stronger 
than  Chippewa  arrows?  Can  it  break  the 
Chippewa  bows?" 

The  Keeper  turned  and  faced  him.  Into 
the  stern  old  features  had  crept  a  light 
that  seemed  unearthly,  and  he  looked  at 
Gib  as  though  he  had  seen  some  other  be- 
hind him,  so  that  more  than  one  of  the 
warriors  glanced  about  uneasily.  Still 
holding  the  Book,  the  old  Mohawk  an- 
swered slowly,  unheeding  the  bitter  cold  in 
his  fresh  wounds. 

"  The  Pike  is  a  great  warrior.  He  was 
among  the  Iroquois  many  years  ago.  He 
has  seen  how  warriors  of  the  Five  Nations 
die,  and  the  sight  has  frightened  him.  He 
has  fled  to  the  Chippewas,  and  has  put 
on  the  robes  of  a  squaw.  He  asks  me, 
the  Keeper  of  the  Eastern  Door  of  the 
Long-house.  Ta-cha-noon-tia,  if  my  faith 
is  stronger  than  Chippewa  arrows  !  Listen, 
my  brothers. 

"  I  am  very  old.  I  am  on  my  last  war- 
trail,  and  I  can  see  that  it  is  almost  ended, 
and  I  am  glad.  But  in  the  snow  beside 
The  Pike  there  is  a  trail.  What  is  that 
which  stands  behind  you,  my  brother? 
What  is  that  which  waits  at  your  shoulder 
and  breathes  upon  your  cheek?" 

At  the  words  Gib,  who  had  listened  as 
though  through  force,  flung  about,  but 
there  was  no  man  beside  him.  Then  from 
the  Chippewas  went  up  a  little  gasp,  and 
following  their  eyes  I  saw  a  track  across 


the  snow,  from  the  woods  leading  toward 
the  ridge,  which  passed  close  to  us  and 
right  behind  Gib.  The  track  was  that  of 
the  Mighty  One,  the  giant  moose,  and 
I  realized  that  The  Keeper  was  taking  ad- 
vantage of  every  chance  that  offered. 

But  Gib  laughed  harshly.  "  The  Keeper 
is  right.  He  is  on  his  last  trail,  unless 
he  casts  away  the  book  in  his  hand,  and 
quickly." 

"  Listen,  my  brothers,  while  I  tell  you 
a  story."  At  this  I  saw  Gib  start  as  if 
to  protest,  but  a  swift  glance  at  the  Chip- 
pewas showed  that  he  could  not  hurry 
them.  They  were  absorbed  in  watching 
The  Keeper,  and  although  their  admiration 
for  him  would  in  no  degree  lessen  their 
cruelty,  they  wished  to  lose  nothing  of  his 
words  or  deeds,  for  they  knew  that  he 
was  a  greater  man  than  they.  He  spoke 
slowly,  quietly,  his  weak  voice  growing 
stronger  as  he  went  on. 

"  Long  ago,  when  I  was  a  young  war- 
rior without  a  scalp,  a  man  came  among 
us.  He  wore  a  black  robe.  He  was  a 
white  man,  and  his  words  were  sweet  in 
our  ears.  He  told  us  that  the  Great  Spirit 
had  sent  him  among  us  to  tell  us  that  there 
should  be  peace  and  not  war  in  the  land. 

"  My  brothers,  our  old  men  have  told 
us  that  once  the  hero  Hiawatha  banded 
together  five  nations  in  a  silver  chain  of 
peace.  These  are  the  five  nations  of  the 
Iroquois.  Xo  tribe  can  stand  before  us — 
not  even  the  white  men  have  overcome  us. 
But  we  have  forgotten  that  we  formed  a 
league  of  peace,  and  our  arrows  are  very 
sharp. 

"  We  listened  to  the  blackrobe.  but  we 
did  not  believe  that  the  Great  Spirit  had 
sent  him  to  us.  Our  medicine  men  were  very 
angry  at  him.  Then  there  came  a  plague 
upon  us,  and  many  of  our  warriors  died 
in  the  villages.  The  medicine  men  said 
that  the  blackrobe  had  brought  the  plague 
upon  us,  and  our  young  men  cried  out 
that  he  should  be  killed. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


77' 


"  My  brothers,  you  do  not  know  how 
to  torture.  You  are  women.  We  took 
the  blackrobe  to  a  stake  and  builded  a 
fire  around  him.  Before  we  lit  the  fire  I 
jeered  at  him,  and  asked  him  if  his  Great 
Spirit  was  stronger  than  our  arrows, 
stronger  than  our  fire." 

There  was  dead  silence,  for  The  Keeper 
was  holding  his  audience  by  the  sheer 
force  of  his  words,  and  the  Chippewas 
were  wrapt  in  his  story. 

"  My  brothers,  he  answered  that  his 
faith  was  greater  than  our  fire  or  our 
tomahawks.  We  were  very  glad,  for  we 
knew  that  he  would  die  like  a  warrior.  I 
myself  set  the  fire  around  him,  but  he 
seemed  to  feel  no  pain.  He  gazed  up  at 
the  sky  and  spoke  to  the  Great  Spirit  as 
the  coals  fell  upon  him,  so  that  we  became 
afraid.  And,  my  brothers,  before  he  died 
we  heard  him  ask  the  Great  Spirit  to  bless 
us  and  not  to  take  vengeance  upon  us. 
Then  in  truth  we  knew  that  his  faith  was 
greater  than  our  fire,  and  that  his  Great 
Spirit  had  blunted  our  arrows.  In  the  next 
year  I  went  to  seek  out  the  White  Father, 
and  there  I  learned  to  know  the  Great 
Spirit,  and  I  placed  his  token  about  my 
neck. 

"My  brothers,  you  have  heard  my  story. 
You  have  asked  me  to  deny  the  Great 
Spirit,  but  He  has  whispered  to  me  that  He 
is  stronger  than  your  bows  and  sharper 
than  your  arrows.  I  am  sore  wounded, 
and  the  end  of  the  trail  appears  before 
me,  my  brothers.  I  have  killed  many  of 
your  young  men,  who  shall  journey  with 
me  on  the  ghost-trail  to  find  the  Great 
Spirit.  And  when  I  find  Him  I  will  ask 
him  to  bless  you. 

"  Brave  Eyes,"  and  for  an  instant  the 
stern  voice  faltered,  as  The  Keeper  turned 
to  me,  "  carry  this  book  to  White  Eagle,  my 
father,  and  tell  him  that  the  Chippewas  are 
women.  Tell  him  that  Ta-cha-noon-tia  was 
a  great  warrior,  and  that  I  will  wait  for 
him  on  the  Ghost-trail.  Tell  the  Great 


Swift  Arrow,  my  brother,  that  I  will  wait 
for  him  also.  Tell  them  that  we  have 
traveled  long  together,  and  that  the  Great 
Spirit  has  whispered  to  me  that  He  will 
not  separate  us  for  long.  My  brothers,  I 
have  spoken." 

Handing  the  Bible  to  me,  The  Keeper 
turned  and  folded  his  arms  calmly.  For  a 
moment  the  Chippewas  were  held  under  the 
spell  of  his  words,  then  a  word  from  Gib 
wakened  them.  With  all  respect  they  led 
The  Keeper  to  a  large  tree  outside  the 
lodges,  and  bound  him  fast. 

But  as  for  me,  I  buried  my  head  in  my 
arms,  and  sobbed — great,  dry,  choking  sobs 
that  I  could  by  no  means  check  nor  hinder, 
and  cared  not  who  saw  them.  For  I  was 
alone  and  helpless,  and  the  bitter  agony  in 
my  heart  was  well-nigh  unendurable. 

So  passed  Ta-cha-noon-tia,  the  Keeper 
of  the  Eastern  Door — and  never  in  all  the 
North  was  there  a  passing  which  so  truly 
deserved  the  name  of  martyrdom. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
HUDSON'S  END. 

I  DO  not  think  that  this  triumph  of  The 
Pike  was  greatly  to  his  liking,  after  all. 
That  speech  of  The  Keeper  had  stag- 
gered him,  and  I  caught  him  more  than 
once,  in  the  hours  that  followed,  gazing 
steadfastly  at  the  track  of  the  Mighty  One 
across  the  snows.  How  that  track  came 
there  I  know  not;  the  moose  must  have 
passed  from  the  forest  to  the  ridge  during 
the  night  without  being  seen  or  heard, 
which  was  like  enough. 

So  I  sat  there  alone,  my  head  upon  my 
arms,  until  the  thudding  of  the  arrows  had 
ceased  and  a  single  yell  from  the  Chip- 
pewas told  me  that  it  was  finished.  No 
word  or  groan  had  the  Mohawk  uttered, 
and  the  warriors  laid  him  down  beside  their 


78 


THE    CONQUEST. 


own  dead  and  covered  him  with  his  robes 
in  silent  respect. 

Gib  had  stood,  at  my  side,  watching  in 
stony  silence  all  that  passed,  and  at  the 
end  he  turned  and  strode  away,  entering 
one  of  the  lodges.  The  Chippewas  left  me 
to  myself,  hovering  near  and  conversing 
in  low  tones.  The  death  of  the  martyr 
had  cast  a  gloom  over  the  day,  and  I  saw 
the  Cree  woman.  Laughing  Snow,  moving 
about  among  the  lodges.  For  some  reason 
she  had  not  accompanied  us  in  that  mad 
flight,  but  I  spared  little  thought  on  her.  I 
was  too  full  of  my  grief  and  rage,  for  him 
who  had  died. 

So  dragged  away  an  hour  or  two.  Then 
Gib  reappeared  and  said  somewhat  to  his 
men,  who  bestirred  themselves  promptly.  I 
gathered  that  with  the  first  darkness  they 
would  make  an  attack  on  Radisson  to  re- 
cover Ruth  from  him,  and  misdoubted  me 
much  that  he  could  hold  the  ridge  single- 
handed,  or  even  the  pass  itself.  It  was  not 
to  be  altogether  as  Gib  had  planned,  how- 
ever, for  before  the  afternoon  had  gone  a 
murmur  of  amazement  from  the  Chippewas 
awoke  me  from  my  lethargy.  Glancing  up, 
I  saw  a  single  figure  advancing  over  the 
snows  from  the  ridge.  Halting  midway  to 
us,  it  stopped  and  held  up  both  hands,  and 
I  recognized  Radisson. 

Now,  at  the  time,  there  were  only  some 
eight  or  nine  warriors  in  camp,  the  others 
•having  gone  forth  at  Gib's  command  to 
bring  in  some  fresh  meat.  Had  the  others 
been  here,  that  which  took  place  had  been 
next  to  impossible.  Gib  strode  out  and 
shouted  to  Radisson  to  come  forward  with- 
out fear,  assuring  him  of  safety,  then  he 
turned  back  with  a  swift  word. 

"  Bind  that  white  man's  hands  and  gag 
him,"  was  his  order,  and  the  Chippewas 
obeyed.  In  a  moment  I  was  trussed  and 
gagged,  while  Gib  flung  another  blanket 
over  the  still  form  of  The  Keeper.  That 
he  was  up  to  some  deviltry  I  guessed,  but 
could  not  fathom  his  purpose. 


Radisson  slapped  along  over  the  snows, 
and  presently  came  up  to  us.  He  was  un- 
armed, and  as  he  paused  I  could  see  his 
keen  eyes  searching  as  if  for  someone  who 
was  not  visible.  It  took  no  great  thought 
to  guess  who  that  someone  was,  and  I 
thought  he  looked  puzzled. 

"  Greetings,  my  brothers,"  he  said  cour- 
teously enough,  paying  no  heed  to  me,  but 
striding  to  the  fire  and  warming  himself. 
The  Chippewas  replied  in  kind,  and  Gib 
smiled  craftily. 

"  Has  White  Eagle  come  to  surrender, 
himself?"  returned  the  renegade  softly. 

Radisson  smiled.  "  Nay,  but  to  demand 
surrender,"  was  his  cool  retort,  and  he 
turned  to  the  Chippewas,  disdaining  to 
speak  with  Gib.  "  My  brothers,  the  end  is 
near.  The  Great  Spirit  is  fighting  against 
you.  See,  he  has  led  me  through  the  hills 
by  a  secret  path,  and  there  on  the  ridge  are 
gathered  the  Cree  warriors.  They  were 
very  eager  to  send  their  arrows  to  you,  and 
I  cannot  restrain  them  much  longer." 

This  created  a  little  stir  among  the 
Chippewas,  but  still  Gib  smiled  his  sneer- 
ing smile. 

"  My  brothers,  last  night  you  captured 
Brave  Eyes  and  one  of  the  Brothers  of 
the  Thunder.  The  Yellow  Lily  was  droop- 
ing in  your  hands,  and  she  has  fled  to  us. 
If  I  let  loose  my  warriors  upon  you,  they 
will  eat  you  up  and  stamp  you  into  the 
earth  as  the  herds  of  bison  stamp  the  grass. 
But  return  me  your  prisoners,  and  we  will 
go  in  peace." 

My  heart  gave  a  bound  of  joy.  So  the 
Crees  had  arrived  with  Swift  Arrow !  But 
Gib  replied  calmly  enough. 

"  White  Eagle,  I  am  not  like  the  fool 
Englishmen  whom  you  captured  in  their 
forts  single-handed  in  years  past.  I  have 
not  seen  your  young  men,  or  heard  the 
sound  of  their  war  cries." 

Radisson  turned  and  pointed  out  toward 
the  westering  sun  that  was  turning  the 
snow  and  hills  and  trees  to  crimson  and 


THE    CONQUEST. 


79 


purple.  A  guttural  exclamation  rose  from 
the  warriors,  and  Gib's  smile  faded  away ; 
for  there  we  saw  plainly  a  dozen  dark 
figures  wending  toward  us  and  dark  against 
the  sun. 

"  Your  road  to  the  west  is  cut  off," 
continued  Radisson.  "  Your  escape  is  im- 
possible. The  warriors  of  Talking  Owl 
have  gathered  against  you,  and  if  you 
would  not  be  overwhelmed  at  once,  you 
must  act  quickly.  These  young  men  come 
to  join  us,  and  there  are  others  behind 
them.  Say,  my  brothers,  will  you  release 
your  captives  or  no?" 

Beneath  the  stolid  calm  of  the  Chippe- 
was  it  needed  no  sharp  eye  to  see  that  they 
were  wild  with  fear.  Gib's  cunning  tongue 
had  failed  him  for  once,  and  he  could 
naught  but  gaze  out  at  the  little  dots 
against  the  sun.  They  were  still  a  mile  or 
more  away,  and  to  detect  more  than  that 
they  were  men  was  impossible.  In  that 
moment  it  seemed  that  Radisson  had  tri- 
umphed utterly,  and  the  oldest  of  the 
Chippewas  nodded  gravely. 

"  My  father  White  Eagle  is  a  great 
warrior.  If  he  will  assure  us  that  these 
men  will  do  us  no  harm,  will  let  us  go  in 
peace,  and  if  he  will  not  bring  the  warriors 
of  Uchichak  upon  us,  then  he  may  take 
his  captives.  But  Brave  Heart  must  also 
be  released." 

"  So  it  shall  be,"  and  I  detected  nothing 
of  the  anxiety  that  must  have  underlain 
Radisson's  calm  demeanor.  "  These  men 
shall  not  harm  you,  my  brothers,  and  those 
who  are  with  me  shall  not  attack  you. 
Soan-ge-ta-ha  shall  return  home  in  safety." 
Gib  started  to  utter  a  bitter  protest,  but 
the  Chippewas  waved  him  into  silence,  and 
pulled  me  to  my  feet,  shoving  me  forward 
to  Radisson.  He  drew  out  his  knife  to 
cut  my  bonds,  and  asked  after  The  Keeper. 
It  was  Gib  who  made  answer,  accepting 
the  situation. 

"  The  Mohawk  is  out  with  some  of  our 
young  men,  Radisson.  He  will  be  back 


shortly,  and  he  shall  join  you  then.  Brave 
Eyes  must  remain  as  he  is,  lest  he  attack 
us,  for  he  is  strong." 

For  an  instant  Radisson  hesitated,  and  a 
swift  flash  of  disappointment  ran  over  his 
stern  face.  Then  it  came  to  me  that  he 
must  have  played  a  desperate  game,  and 
vainly  I  strove  to  warn  him.  The  flimsy 
excuses  of  the  renegade  seemed  to  be 
accepted,  however,  for  without  a  word  he 
stepped  forward  and  led  me  away,  none 
hindering. 

When  we  had  gone  a  hundred  yards, 
from  the  camp  he  whipped  out  his  knife, 
gave  one  quick  glance  to  the  west,  and 
cut  through  my  bonds. 

"  Run  for  it,  lad !"  he  cried.  "  Some  of 
the  Chippewa  hunters  have  met  the  others 
— we  are  lost  unless  we  break  away  to  the 
ridge !" 

I  did  not  pause  to  question  him,  but  ran. 
For  a  moment  I  thought  we  would  be  safe 
enough,  but  the  Chippewas  must  have  been 
watching  that  party  to  the  west  also,  for 
we  had  barely  started  when  from  the  camp 
behind  went  up  a  shrill  yell  of  rage,  and 
I  heard  Gib's  shout. 

I  knew  without  his  telling  me  that  he  had 
tried  for  one  of  those  audacious  coups 
which  had  made  his  name  famous,  even  as 
Gib  had  said.  The  Crees  had  not  arrived; 
the  party  to  the  west  was  the  party  of  the 
Chippewas  who  had  been  left  to  guard  the 
retreat,  and  who  for  some  reason  had 
come  on  to  join  Gib.  Had  the  hunters 
from  the  camp  not  met  them,  in  plain  sight 
of  all,  we  had  got  clean  away. 

As  it  was,  I  was  handicapped  by  having 
no  snowshoes,  but  even  so  I  could  outrun 
the  Chippewas,  as  I  knew  well.  Then 
something  whistled  over  my  shoulder,  and 
a  gunshot  rang  out  behind  us,  and  another. 
Those  Chippewas  were  well  armed,  doubt- 
less from  the  post,  and  in  their  rage  at 
being  tricked  so  easily  they  spared  no 
powder. 

I   dared   not  try  to  jump   from   side  to 


80 


THE    CONQUEST. 


side,  nor  could  Radisson  by  reason  of  his 
snowshoes,  so  we  plunged  straight  for  the 
ridge.  The  bullets  whistled  past  us  and 
over,  and  I  had  just  begun  to  rejoice  that 
we  had  escaped,  when  I  saw  Radisson  stag- 
ger heavily.  Then  came  wild  fear  to  me, 
and  I  reached  his  side  and  caught  his  arm 
in  mine. 

" '  Tis  naught,  Davie,"  he  muttered  as 
he  ran  on,  and  shook  me  off.  "  \Ye  have 
distanced  them — courage  !  Where  is  The 
Keeper?'' 

Before  answering  I  glanced  behind.  The 
Chippewas  had  spread  out,  but  were  making 
no  further  effort  to  catch  us.  Another 
spurt  of  smoke  darted  out,  and  another 
bullet  sang -past  faintly.  A  hundred  yards 
farther  on  and  we  would  be  out  of  range, 
so  I  waited  until  we  had  gained  it,  with 
the  ridge  near  ahead. 

"  The  Keeper  is  dead."  I  answered  him 
bluntly  enough.  "  They  shot  him  to  death 
with  arrows  at  midday." 

Radisson  stopped  short  and  turned  a 
stricken  face  to  me.  Terrible  was  that 
face,  unbelieving  my  tidings,  yet  with  fear 
and  horror  stamped  upon  it.  The  old  man 
staggered  as  he  stood,  swaying  back  and 
forth,  but  his  eagle-eyes  were  never 
brighter  and  keener. 

"  Dead?  The  Keeper  dead?''  he  repeated 
hoarsely.  In  a  few  words  I  told  him  all 
that  had  passed.  He  bowed  his  head  slow- 
ly, and  two  great  tears  trickled  down  over 
his  beard,  but  no  more.  When  he  raised 
his  countenance  again  I  scarce  knew  it,  so 
deep-sunken  was  it  all  in  a  moment,  so 
ghastly  pale. 

"  Come,  Davie,"  he  muttered  as  if  his 
spirit  had  broken  beneath  the  weight  of 
sorrow.  "  Swift  Arrow  has  not  yet  ar- 
rived. We  are  in  bad  case,  and — and — I  am 
hard  hit." 

I  caught  him  with  a  cry  of  grief,  but 
he  gathered  himself  together  and  once 
more  we  went  on.  My  mind  was  in  a  whirl, 
for  I  knew  the  old  man  was  wounded  and 


badly,  yet  I  was  thinking  more  of  his  ter- 
rible grief  than  of  his  wound.  And  so 
we  came  to  the  ridge  again,  and  when  we 
reached  bare  rock  Ruth  sprang  forward 
and  into  my  arms,  Grim  leaping  up  on  me. 
me. 

"  Davie — Davie  !"  she  cried,  sobbing, 
then  lifted  her  face  to  mine.  I  held  her 
for  an  instant,  and  kissed  her  on  the  brow. 
But  as  I  looked  across  her  shoulder  to 
Radisson  I  bethought  me  that  he  was  hurt, 
and  so  I  loosed  her  again  and  would  have 
gone  to  him,  but  he  stopped  me. 

"  Listen,  David !  My  strength  is  sore 
spent — we  must  leave  this  cranny  in  the 
rocks  for  the  mouth  of  the  pass,  for  with 
the  darkness  the  Chippewas  will  be  upon 
us.  Stop  not  for  talking,  lad,  but  catch 
up  the  muskets  and  powder  and  hasten !" 
he  said. 

Seeing  that  it  was  useless  to  irritate  him 
by  not  obeying,  I  loaded  myself  with  the 
weapons  and  horns  of  powder,  Ruth  help- 
ing me  bind  on  my  snowshoes.  Radisson 
stood,  swaying  a  little,  but  gazing  at  the 
rock  walls  above  as  if  searching  for  aid. 
We  set  out,  Ruth  at  his  arm,  and  wended 
beneath  the  cliffs  toward  the  mouth  of  that 
valley  of  shadow  through  which  we  had 
come  hither,  striking  a  path  through  the 
great  bowlders  strewed  around  while  Grim 
followed  sedately.  I  cast  watchful  glances 
down  toward  the  camp,  but  Gib  seemed  to 
be  waiting  for  his  hunters  and  for  that 
second  party  before  he  moved  on  us.  On 
a  sudden  the  old  wanderer  paused,  and  his 
voice  rang  out  as  firm  as  ever. 

"  Look !  The  Mighty  One  has  come 
again  to  lead  us !" 

And  there  in  the  snow  were  the  tracks 
of  that  gigantic  moose,  fresh  and  new- 
made,  and  leading  toward  the  mouth  of 
the  valley !  Wre  followed  them  as  speedily 
as  might  be,  and  in  ten  minutes  more  the 
great  rock  walls  had  towered  above  and 
closed  us  in.  Ruth  had  come  to  my  side 
now,  and  she  pressed  close  to  me  in  fear. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


81 


The  track  suddenly  turned  away  from 
those  old  tracks  of  ours,  to  one  side  of  the 
rocks.  Without  hesitation  Radisson  fol- 
lowed, until  we  came  to  where  the  moose 
had  milled  around  and  around  in  the  snow, 
possibly  to  make  a  bed — but  as  Radisson 
firmly  believed,  to  point  us  to  something. 
And  great  fear  came  upon  me  when  Ruth 
gave  a  little  cry  and  showed  a  long,  narrow 
cleft  in  the  black  rocks  at  our  side. 

"Said  I  not  that  he  was  leading  us?" 
cried  Radisson  triumphantly.  "  It  is  a  cave, 
lad !  There  we  can  stand  off  the  Chip- 
pewas  as  long  as  need  be.  Forward  !" 

I  took  out  flint  and  steel,  kindled  my 
tinder,  and  presently  had  a  roll  of  birch 
flaring.  Above  stretched  that  cleft  in  the 
granite,  silent,  black,  grim  with  unseen  ter- 
rors. I  led  the  way  gingerly  enough,  for 
the  passage  seemed  to  zigzag  before  me,  as 
if  some  giant  hand  had  smitten  into  the 
heart  of  the  cliffs. 

Then  I  paused  abruptly,  holding  my  flare 
high,  as  the  passage  opened  out.  Surely, 
it  was  a  cave — small,  but  large  enough  to 
hold  us  in  comfort.  The  room  was  a 
dozen  feet  across  and  at  my  feet  lay  a  lit- 
tle store  of  wood  as  if  someone  else  had 
been  there,  while  skins  were  piled  in  the 
corner.  My  torch  sputtered,  and  I  swiftly 
lit  the  pile  of  sticks,  which  flared  up  in- 
stantly, flickering  in  a  draught.  Then  at 
the  far  end  of  the  chamber  I  saw  a  second 
opening,  smaller  than  the  first,  and  clad  in 
darkness. 

"  We  have  an  hour,"  muttered  Radisson 
thickly,  as  he  sank  down  upon  the  skins. 
"What  is  this  place?" 

"  Let  us  tend  your  wound  first,"  I  be- 
sought him,  whereat  Ruth  gave  a  little  cry 
and  came  to  his  side. 

"Oh,  are  you  hurt?"  she  exclaimed 
softly,  catching  his  head  as  he  sank  back. 
"  \Vhere  is  The  Keeper  ?" 

"  He  has  gone  before  me,"  returned 
Radisson  with  more  strength.  "  Nay,  let 
be,  lass.  You  can  do  me  no  good  now, 


for  I  have  come  to  the  end  of  the  trail. 
Eat  of  the  food  that  is  left,  both  of  you;  we 
will  have  need  of  all  your  strength  ere 
morning,  lad." 

We  obeyed  him,  while  Ruth  heard  the 
story  of  The  Keeper's  passing,  and  wept 
as  she  ate  until  the  tears  choked  her. 
Radisson  spoke,  dry-eyed  and  smiling,  with 
Grim  curled  at  his  side. 

"  Lad,  see  what  lies  in  that  farther 
chamber,  for  it  has  taken  strong  hold  on 
my  mind." 

Willing  to  humor  him,  I  caught  up  a 
burning  stick  and  went  to  the  entrance, 
which  was  about  mine  own  height.  All  was 
dark  beyond,  until  I  turned  a  sharp  corner 
of  the  rock.  I  near  dropped  the  light,  and 
my  heart  leaped  in  fear,  for  a  great  bearded 
face  was  staring  out  upon  me !  Then  I 
knew  all. 

Staring  from  across  a  rude  table  where 
it  sat,  was  the  figure  of  a  man — in  one 
hand  an  ancient  pistol,  in  the  other  a  quill, 
with  paper  before  it.  Upon  the  table  sat 
a  keg,  with  the  word  "  Hudson "  painted 
on  it,  and  I  needed  not  to  look  at  that  high 
brow  encased  in  the  frozen  drippings  from 
the  rock  above,  to  know  that  here  had  been 
the  ending  of  Henry  Hudson. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE    MIGHTY    ONE. 


is  it,  Davie?"  called  the 
soft  voice  of  Ruth,  awaking  me 
from  my  horrified  stupor. 
"  Wait,"  I  made  hoarse  answer,  still 
dazed  by  my  startling  discovery.  Looking 
closer  at  that  figure  before  me,  I  saw  that 
it  was  as  if  cased  in  ice,  and  as  something 
splashed  on  my  neck  I  knew  that  the  rock- 
drippings  from  above  had  covered  it.  With 
trembling  fingers  I  wiped  the  sweat  from 
my  brow,  then  caught  at  the  sheet  of  paper 


82 


THE    CONQUEST. 


before  me  and  incontinently  fled. 

The  horror  of  it  unnerved  me,  and  must 
have  shown  in  my  face.  Gradually  I  told 
the  others  of  what  I  had  seen,  and  Radisson 
started  up  on  his  elbow,  his  old  face  alight 
with  a  great  amazement  and  joy. 

"  The  paper,  lad — the  paper !''  he  cried 
out.  "  Hendrik  Hudson — ah,  but  this  is  the 
greatest  discovery  of  all !  Xaught  matters 
now — for  I  have  goodly  company  on  the 
Ghost-trail !  Read  the  paper,  lad  !" 

I  held  down  the  dry  paper — for  it  seemed 
to  have  escaped  those  drippings,  by  some 
trick  of  Fate — to  the  light,  and  with  Ruth 
peering  over  my  shoulder  made  shift  to 
read  the  words  written  there  in  English. 
It  was  in  the  same  hand  which  had  written 
in  the  Bible,  and  the  two  lie  here  before 
me  now.  It  seemed  to  be  one  of  other 
sheets,  for  at  the  top  it  was  numbered  in 
Roman. 


shall  beeware  how  you  doe  deal  my 
Truste.  In  Time  shall  come  Them 
of  mine  own  Race,  to  whom  doe  I 
graunt  all  thyngs  Herein.  This  bee 
a  rich  laund  &  worthe  ye  keeping  for 
Britain.  Soe  now  farewell.  I  grow 
weak. 

Henry  Hudson." 

I  looked  up  from  the  paper  amazed,  and 
met  the  exultant  eyes  of  Radisson  fixed 
upon  me.  The  old  man  clutched  at  the 
scrap  and  held  it  to  him  fiercely. 

"  Radisson  has  won  again !"  he  ex- 
claimed, his  dark  eyes  shining  bright.  "  I 
have  found  a  new  country  and  with  it 
Henry  Hudson — ah,  get  you  outside,  lad ! 
Take  the  fusils  with  you,  and  keep  guard ! 
I  had  forgot  our  danger,  and  the  night 
must  be  coming  on.  They  will  trail  us 
here,  for  The  Pike  must  know  the  place. 
Yet  it  is  strange  that  he  knew  naught  of 
the  passage  through  the  hills  behind  !" 

So   I    loaded   the   fusils   afresh   and   left 


him  in  the  care  of  Ruth.  When  I  gained 
the  entrance  to  the  cave  I  saw  that  it  must 
have  fallen  dark  outside,  yet  the  mouth  of 
the  passage  from  the  ridge  was  lit  by  the 
fires  in  the  sky,  which  seemed  faintly 
ablaze.  As  I  set  down  the  guns  and  drew 
my  furs  about  me,  shivering  in  the  bitter- 
ness of  the  cold,  I  was  thankful  that  at 
least  I  was  sheltered  from  that  great  wind 
that  tore  down  through  the  gap  moaning 
and  shrieking. 

Where  had  that  moose-track  come  from  ? 
It  seemed  hard  to  believe  that  the  mighty 
animal  had  passed  from  woods  to  ridge, 
and  so  on  into  the  passage  without  having 
been  seen  by  any.  Yet  it  must  have  been 
even  so,  for  the  trail  was  a  fresh  one,  and 
I  wondered  at  the  thing. 

With  it  all  I  was  mightily  afraid,  nor 
hesitated  to  admit  it  to  myself.  The  death 
of  The  Keeper  had  been  a  great  shock  to 
me,  and  the  finding  of  Hudson,  the  mere 
knowing  that  his  earthly  form  lay  in  that 
cave  behind  me,  was  horrible.  The  fear- 
someness  of  that  passageway  through  the 
cliffs,  lying  so  dark  and  ghostly  in  front 
of  me,  added  in  no  small  degree  to  my 
shakings  of  soul. 

And  to  cap  all,  Radisson  lay  stricken 
mortally.  This  I  guessed  from  his  manner 
of  speaking  and  from  the  fact  that  he 
would  not  allow  us  to  care  for  his  wound. 
The  great  wonder  of  the  whole  thing,  from 
the  trail  of  the  Mighty  One  to  the  martyr- 
dom of  the  Mohawk,  oppressed  me,  and 
I  remembered  how  The  Keeper  had  prophe- 
sied that  he  would  not  go  on  the  spirit-trail 
alone. 

Then  I  fell  to  thinking  of  Hudson. 
So  the  little  boat  had  not  been  lost,  as  all 
men  had  thought,  but  had  reached  land.  Who 
might  know  the  tale  of  all  that  had  hap- 
pened? The  stout  seaman  must  have  seen 
his  friends  and  his  son  perish  one  by  one, 
yet  have  struggled  on  to  the  west  until  he 
had  come  to  the  Ghost  Hills  and  found 
there  the  rest  denied  him  in  life. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


So  I  sat  there  half  in  dream,  thinking 
bitterly  on  what  was  to  be  the  end  of  it  all. 
For  myself  I  cared  little,  but  I  could  not 
see  Ruth  in  red  hands.  Why  did  not 
Swift  Arrow  and  Uchichak  arrive?  Al- 
most on  the  thought,  it  seemed  that  a  dark 
shadow  flitted  down  through  the  pass, 
whereat  I  caught  up  one  of  the  guns  and 
cried  out. 

"  It  is  Ca-yen-gui-ha-no,"  came  the 
voice  of  the  Mohawk.  "  Where  is  my 
brother?" 

"  Here,"  I  shouted,  great  relief  in  my 
heart,  and  had  like  to  fling  my  arms  about 
the  tall  old  man  as  he  clambered  up  to  me. 
"But  Uchichak — where  are  the  Crees? 
We  are  in  sore  need,  Swift  Arrow !" 

"  They  come,"  he  grunted  in  surprise  as 
he  saw  where  I  stood.  "  The  Mighty  One 
met  us.  I  fired  and  drove  him  back.  The 
Crees  are  slow.  Swift  Arrow  came  on 
quickly,  and  passed  the  Mighty  One,  who 
follows  behind  me." 

He  peered  about,  and  I  motioned  him 
back  into  the  cave,  whither  he  vanished. 
A  moment  later  there  came  a  yell  from  the 
mouth  of  the  gap,  and  I  knew  that  the 
Chippewas  were  upon  me.  A  number  of 
dark  shapes  flitted  across  the  opening,  a 
hundred  paces  away,  and  I  fired  at  one 
of  these,  the  echoes  rolling  up  and  up  in 
weird  echoes  of  sound. 

"  Let  my  brother  load,"  and  Swift  Ar- 
row stood  beside  me  again.  "  I  will  shoot." 

Cheerfully  enough  I  resigned  my  place 
to  him.  Xow  came  two  shots,  and  the  bul- 
lets pattered  on  the  cliffs  behind.  But  to 
reach  us  the  Chippewas  would  have  to 
cross  that  open  gully  where  lay  the  deep, 
hard  snow,  and  even  in  the  half-light  from 
the  closed-out  skies  their  figures  would  show 
plainly  against  the  white  snow.  And  we 
had  four  guns,  with  a  good  store  of  powder 
and  balls  close  to  hand. 

After  those  first  shots,  there  came  no 
sign  of  danger,  but  I  knew  that  the  cun- 
ning brain  of  The  Pike  would  not  rest  idle 


for  long.  The  Chippewas  could  not  reach 
us  from  below  without  making  a  straight 
charge,  which  they  would  have  little 
stomach  for,  and  they  could  not  get 
at  us  from  above,  since  those  high  walls  of 
granite  could  hardly  be  scaled. 

Yet  Gib  solved  the  problem,  for  present- 
ly a  musket  roared  over  against  us  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  cliffs,  and  a  bullet 
whistled  into  the  cleft  behind.  There  was 
no  danger  that  those  within  the  cavern 
could  be  injured,  by  reason  of  the  twists 
in  the  passage,  but  the  mouth  of  the  cave 
where  we  lay  could  be  raked  easily  enough, 
and  the  Arrow  grunted. 

"  We  must  hit  or  be  hit,  Brave  Eyes," 
and  he  laid  his  fusil  in  rest,  aiming  at  the 
place  whence  had  come  the  flash.  A  mo- 
ment later  it  came  again,  but  the  Arrow 
fired  almost  with  it.  A  single  yell  echoed 
up,  and  thereafter  came  no  more  shots 
from  across  the  way. 

"  Think  you  they  will  try  to  rush  upon 
us?"  I  whispered  fearfully. 

"  They  are  women,"  he  grunted  disdain- 
fully. "  The  Mighty  One  will  scatter 
them." 

"  How  mean  you  ?  Where  is  the  moose  ?" 

"  He  is  near.  The  Crane  will  drive  him 
before,  and  when  he  comes  the  Chippewas 
will  scatter  from  before  him." 

Then  I  remembered  what  the  Mohawk 
had  first  said,  upon  his  arrival.  He  had 
met  the  moose  traveling  toward  the  open 
country,  and  had  driven  him  back  toward 
us,  passing  him  later  as  he  hurried  on 
ahead  of  the  Crees.  But  soon  I  had  other 
things  to  bother  my  head  with  than  the 
moose. 

For  as  we  lay  watching,  something  came 
down  from  the  skies  and  shattered  on  the 
rocks  beside  me.  Feeling  about,  I  found 
that  it  had  been  an  arrow,  and  now  we 
were  in  grave  danger  indeed.  If  we  with- 
drew under  the  shelter  of  the  cave,  we 
would  lose  sight  of  that  open  gully  be- 
neath us;  but  if  we  lay  there  without  cov- 


84 


THE    CONQUEST. 


ering  above,  the  Chippewa  arrows  could 
descend  full  upon  us.  Gib  was  having 
his  men  shoot  straight  up,  so  that  the 
arrows  would  fall  with  fearful  force,  and 
against  such  shooting  we  were  defenseless. 

They  pattered  down  all  around,  shatter- 
ing on  the  rock  and  yet  seeming  to  miss 
us  altogether.  Before  long  the  Mohawk, 
who  had  refused  to  listen  to  my  word  that 
we  should  seek  shelter  inside  the  cave  and 
defend  its  mouth,  began  to  chant  something 
in  a  low  voice  that  swelled  louder  and 
louder.  A  wild,  barbaric  chant  it  was,  in 
words  that  I  knew  not,  but  ever  and  anon 
he  would  lift  one  of  the  fusils  and  shoot, 
though  I  could  see  no  object  at  which  to 
aim.  When  his  chant  died  down  again 
I  asked  him  the  meaning  of  it. 

''  I  go  on  the  Ghost-trail,  my  brother," 
he  responded  after  a  moment.  "  The 
Chippewa  arrows  are  very  sharp,  and  the 
Great  Spirit  has  called  me.  I  hear  the 
voice  of  the  Keeper  of  the  Eastern  Door. 
He  asks  me  why  I  wait.  I  am  waiting  for 
my  father  the  White  Eagle,  oh  Ta-cha- 
noon-tia!''  With  which  he  trailed  off  into 
his  own  tongue  once  more  and  paid  no 
further  heed  to  me. 

I  knew  not  whether  he  had  been  struck 
with  one  of  those  falling  arrows,  for  he  had 
made  no  sign.  A  moment  later  he  pressed 
a  fusil  into  my  hands. 

"  They  come,  brother  !    Be  ready  !" 

I  loaded  it  as  rapidly  as  might  be,  but 
had  not  finished  when  a  great  yell  went 
up  from  the  darkness,  and  across  the  snow 
came  the  Chippewas — dark  splotches  that 
seemed  to  leap  over  the  white  ground. 

The  Arrow  waited,  and  then  when  they 
seemed  to  be  almost  upon  us,  he  began 
firing.  One  after  another  of  the  foremost 
figures  went  down,  and  I  managed  to  get 
the  first  gun  to  him  as  he  fired  the  fourth. 
Before  that  rain  of  lead  the  Chippewas 
broke  and  fled,  but  I  heard  the  voice  of 
Gib  ring  out,  and  knew  that  he  was  still 
unharmed.  When  the  muskets  were  once 


more  loaded,  I  left  the  ledge  for  an  instant, 
and  ran  back  to  the  cave,  in  order  to  re- 
assure Ruth.  I  found  her  and  Radisson 
just  as  I  had  left  them,  on  the  pile  of 
skins,  and  although  the  fire  had  died  down, 
there  was  plenty  of  wood  in  the  cave  from 
which  to  replenish  it.  In  a  few  words  I 
told  them  of  the  repulse. 

"And  Swift  Arrow?"  demanded  Radis- 
son quickly.  "  Why  was  he  singing  the 
death-chant?  Is  he  also  hurt? 

"  I  know  not,"  was  my  hesitating  answer, 
and  the  tears  could  not  be  kept  back — nor 
were  they  the  tears  of  a  boy.  "  He  is  wait- 
ing for  you,  he  said." 

"  Ah  !  Then  he  will  not  have  long  to  wait, 
methinks,"  Radisson  breathed,  holding  the 
hand  of  Ruth.  At  sight  of  Grim  I  be- 
thought me  that  he  might  well  prove  of 
service,  and  so  I  called  him  to  follow  me 
out  to  the  front  of  the  cave. 

"  Ready !"  thrilled  a  sharp  whisper  from 
Swift  Arrow,  who  had  the  guns  close  to 
his  hand.  Grim  growled.  This  time  the 
attack  came  with  no  forewarning  until  we 
saw  the  approach  of  the  Chippewas,  creep- 
ing stealthily  forward  through  the  snow. 
But  as  they  came,  arrows  pattered  around 
us  from  those  behind,  who  covered  their 
advance. 

And  this  time,  there  was  no  stopping 
them.  Five  times  did  the  Arrow  fire, 
but  then  came  a  rush,  and  he  had  but  time 
to  draw  his  knife  and  put  his  tomahawk 
ready.  I  caught  up  one  of  the  heavy  fusils 
and  swung  it  about  my  head,  and  then  they 
were  upon  us — a  mad  swirl  of  men  who 
seemed  to  spring  out  of  the  darkness  and 
up  the  path  to  our  ledge. 

Now,  when  it  came  to  hand-to-hand  fight- 
ing, my  great  strength  proved  its  worth.  The 
Arrow  had  crawled  to  my  side,  and  as  only 
one  or  two  men  could  reach  us  at  a  time, 
we  managed  to  fling  them  back  with  gun- 
butt  and  tomahawk,  while  the  shrill  yell 
of  the  Mohawk  rose  madly  over  the  shrieks 
of  the  Chippewas. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


85 


Time  after  time  my  heavy  piece  rose  and 
fell,  sometimes  parried  and  sometimes  not, 
while  at  my  side  glittered  the  steel  of  the 
old  chief,  rapid  and  deadly;  but  ever  the 
voice  of  Gib  urged  on  the  warriors,  and 
ever  they  pressed  up  that  narrow  path  in 
mad  resolve.  On  a  sudden  I  felt  a  sharp 
pain  in  my  shoulder,  and  the  fusil  dashed 
out  of  my  hands  against  the  rock  wall  as  I 
staggered  back. 

An  instant,  and  I  had  pulled  out  the 
knife  with  a  shudder  of  pain,  but  that  in- 
stant had  been  well-nigh  fatal,  for  the 
Chippewas  poured  over  us.  Then,  while 
I  was  still  faint  with  the  shock  and  the 
pain  came  Grim  to  the  fore.  Swift  Arrow 
had  risen  to  his  feet,  still  plying  his 
deadly  steel  desperately,  when  the  great 
sheep-clog  crouched  and  sprang,  snarling 
and  tearing  in  the  midst  of  them  beneath 
us. 

The  Chippewas  fell  back  before  him 
in  wild  affright,  leaving  two  of  their  num- 
ber at  handgrips  with  us.  One  of  these 
went  down  under  the  knife  of  the  Mohawk; 
the  other  I  seized  by  the  throat  and  dashed 
back  against  the  rock,  where  he  lay  silent. 
Then  I  whistled  sharp  and  shrill,  and  Grim 
came  back  to  me — bleeding  and  torn,  but 
still  not  hurt  unto  death.  So  near  had 
they  come  to  taking  us,  that  but  for  him 
we  had  assuredly  perished. 

But  the  Chippewas  had  not  retreated 
far,  and  the  evil  tones  of  Gib  showed  me 
where  he  stood  out  there  on  the  snow.  The 
Arrow  had  fallen  forward  against  the  rock, 
helpless ;  when  next  they  charged,  his  aid 
would  be  of  no  avail.  And  the  blood  was 
running  fast  from  my  shoulder,  as  I  re- 
loaded one  of  the  weapons. 

Gib  was  standing  out  in  the  center  of 
the  pass,  and  of  a  sudden  I  heard  what 
seemed  to  be  a  bellow  of  rage,  followed 
by  a  wild  shriek  from  the  Chippewas. 
Turning,  I  saw  a  mighty  form  leaping 
through  the  darkness — great  horns  out- 
spread, giant  shoulders  rising  high  over 


the  group  of  warriors,  huge  hoofs  striking 
to  right  and  left.  In  the  dim  light,  I 
thought  I  saw  Gib  raise  a  musket,  and  for 
an  instant  the  flash  of  it  showed  me  the 
Mighty  One  himself,  poised  high  in  air 
as  he  leaped  upon  the  terror-struck  men. 
Then  all  went  dark  again.  One  horrible, 
long-drawn  shriek  wailed  out  down  the 
great  cliffs  as  I  raised  my  musket  and 
aimed  at  the  huge  shape  below,  from  which 
men  fled  every  way.  I  fired,  and  saw  it 
stumble  forward  over  a  smaller  form  in 
the  snow;  then  I  felt  the  faintness  of  my 
wound  come  upon  me  again,  and  had  but 
strength  enough  to  stagger  back  through 
the  cave,  meet  the  staring  eyes  of  Radis- 
son,  and  fall  at  the  feet  of  Ruth.  But  as 
I  fell,  I  heard  from  without  the  war-cry 
of  Uchichak,  and  knew  that  the  Mighty 
One  had  saved  us ;  then  I  fell  asleep,  with 
the  tongue  of  Grim  hot  on  my  cheek. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

HOW    PIERRE   RADISSON    SLEPT. 

WHEN  I  woke,  it  was  in  the  midst 
of    a    grave    silence.      That    may 
scarce  mean  sense,  yet  to  the  full 
it    expresses    the    feeling    that    came    upon 
me    when    I    opened   my   eyes    and   looked 
about  me.     I  was  sitting  against  the  cave 
wall,  Ruth  at  my  side,  and  Grim,  his  great 
honest  dog's  eyes   full   of  pain,   crouching 
and  looking  up  at  me. 

Now  the  little  cave  was  full  of  light  and 
men — Uchichak  and  other  chiefs  of  the 
Crees,  who  were  standing  silent  before  me, 
while  the  light  smoke  from  the  dry  wood 
drove  past  us  in  the  draught.  Ruth  was 
bathing  my  face  with  water,  but  I  pushed 
her  hand  away.  This  silence  among  so 
many  boded  ill,  and  oppressed  me  strangely. 
I  remembered  Radisson,  and  sought  for 
him  through  the  crowding  forms. 


86 


THE    CONQUEST. 


He  was  sitting  against  the  wall,  with 
the  Swift  Arrow  at  his  side,  their  hands 
clasped.  But,  although  the  Mohawk  was 
well-nigh  gone,  never  had  Radisson's  face 
seemed  happier,  younger  and  nobler.  Hope 
leaped  into  my  heart  that  he  had  not  been 
as  sore  stricken  as  we  had  thought. 

Ruth  helped  me  to  my  feet.  We  went 
over  and  sat  beside  him.  His  hand  closed 
on  ours,  and  he  smiled  kindly  on  Ruth. 

"  Well  does  the  Great  Swift  Arrow  de- 
serve his  name,"  he  said  softly,  so  that  the 
dying  eyes  of  the  old  chief  lit  up.  ''  He 
brought  Uchichak  to  us  and  sped  on  ahead 
of  him,  and  so  saved  us  all." 

''  Then  you  are  not  so  badly  hurt  ?"  I 
exclaimed  joyfully.  Radisson  chuckled, 
and  made  answer  in  his  old  rich,  laughing 
voice. 

"Hurt?  Why,  lad,  I  have  triumphed! 
The  Keeper,  the  Swift  Arrow  and  I  will 
travel  the  last  trail  together  ere  long,  but 
see  !"  And  he  waved  the  paper  of  Hudson 
aloft  as  might  a  boy,  then  his  eyes  went 
to  the  Cree  chiefs,  and  he  spoke  in  their 
own  tongue. 

"  My  brothers,  White  Eagle  goes  upon 
the  spirit-trail.  But  first  he  would  tell  you 
that  in  the  days  to  come,  white  men  shall 
arrive  among  you.  Do  not  make  war  upon 
them,  my  brothers.  They  will  trade  with 
you  for  your  furs,  and  will  bring  much 
good  to  you.  Will  you  remember  this?" 

"  We  will  remember,"  answered  The 
Crane  gravely,  and  a  murmur  passed 
around  among  the  other  chiefs.  The  head 
of  Swift  Arrow  suddenly  sank  forward  and 
his  hand  dropped  from  that  of  Radisson. 
The  Mohawk  had  not  waited. 

Radisson's  face  never  changed  as  he 
asked  the  Crees  how  the  fight  had  gone, 
and  if  Gib  had  been  slain,  and  then  drew 
Ruth  and  me  down  to  him  while  he  waited 
the  answer. 

"  My  father,"  said  Uchichak  slowly,  "  the 
Crees  did  not  fight,  for  the  enemy  had  gone. 
The  Mighty  One  had  fought  for  us  and 


scattered  them.  But — "  and  he  hesitated 
an  instant,  "  as  we  came  near,  a  gun  was 
fired  from  the  cave,  and  lightning  shot 
across  the  snow.  When  we  had  sought  the 
Chippewas,  we  found  the  Mighty  One  lying 
dead,  and  beneath  his  hoofs  was  the  form 
of  The  Pike." 

Uchichak  paused.  With  a  little  shud- 
der I  remembered  how  I  had  seen  the  giant 
moose  uprearing  and  striking  out  with 
hoofs  and  horns,  and  how  he  had  stum- 
bled across  a  man  even  as  I  fired.  Ruth 
was  sobbing  quietly  on  Radisson's  shoul- 
der, and  the  old  wanderer  addressed  us  in 
English. 

"  Children,  do  not  grieve.  I  am  an  old 
man,  and  have  lived  through  more  than 
most  men.  As  for  Gib,  he  has  perished  by 
the  hand  of  God,  even  as  I  foretold  that 
he  would.  Now  listen  carefully. 

"  You,  Ruth,  are  of  right  named  Marie 
de  Courbelles.  It  were  best  to  visit 
Montreal  and  Quebec,  for  there  live  your 
father's  people,  though  he  is  dead  long 
since,  and  there  you  may  obtain  your  in- 
heritance, which  is  a  goodly  one." 

Ruth  sobbed  out  that  she  wanted  none 
of  it,  whereat  the  old  man  petted  her  head 
and  smiled  on  me  suddenly. 

•"  Davie,  you  will  care  for  the  little 
maid?" 

"  An'  she  will  let  me,  I  will,"  was  my 
low  reply. 

"  Then  I  shall  pass  happy,"  and  Radis- 
son sighed  as  if  a  burden  was  off  his  mind. 
"  I  would  that  you  had  the  old  Bible  of 
which  you  spoke,  lass.  I  would  like  to 
hear  once  more  the  story  of  those  days 
Christ  spent  in  the  wilderness.  It  hath 
ever  attracted  me  strangely — I  would  that 
my  days  had  been  set  where  I  might  have 
known  Him  !" 

And  as  Radisson  voiced  the  age-old  wish 
of  the  world,  I  bethought  me  that  I  still 
had  the  packet  which  The  Keeper  had  put 
in  my  hands,  and  so  drew  it  out  hastily. 

"  I  have  it  here— read  it,  Ruth  !" 


THE    CONQUEST. 


87 


The  little  maid  took  the  Book  with  trem- 
bling hands.  The  translation  was  Englished 
by  Wicliff,  and  when  she  had  found  the 
place  she  put  it  into  French  again  for 
Radisson.  He  listened  gravely,  his  head 
drooping  while  she  read,  the  stately  chiefs 
standing  around  in  silent  attention,  though 
they  understood  it  not.  When  it  was  fin- 
ished he  sighed  again. 

"  Thanks,  my  daughter.  Brave  Eyes, 
help  me  to  my  feet,  for  I  would  fain  look 
upon  the  face  of  Hudson  ere  I  pass." 

With  The  Crane,  I  helped  him  to  gain 
his  feet,  and  he  leaned  heavily  upon  us.  I 
motioned  Ruth  not  to  follow,  for  that  sight 
was  none  for  her  eyes,  and  so  we  led  him 
through  the  inner  passage  to  the  second 
chamber  where  sat  the  great  mariner  in 
his  eternal  silence.  The  glow  from  our 
torch  lit  up  his  face,  and  Radisson  sank 
down  against  the  table. 

"  Henry  Hudson  and  Pierre  Radisson !" 
I  heard  him  murmur.  "  It  were  a  fitting 
ending,  and  a  noble  one !"  Pulling  himself 
up,  he  signed  to  us  that  we  should  help 
him  back  again,  which  we  did,  nothing 
loath.  Uchichak  was  trembling  when  we 
reached  the  outer  cave,  for  that  man  who 
sat  with  quill  in  hand  had  frighted  him 
mightily.  Yet  Radisson  had  been  more 
observing  than  I,  for  all  his  weakness. 

"  Davie,"  he  said,  more  faintly,  when  he 
was  again  sitting  upon  the  skins,  "  I  wish 
that  you  do  one  more  thing  for  me.  When 
I  have  entered  upon  the  spirit-trail,  then 
carry  me  into  that  chamber  and  let  me 
sit  at  the  table  over  against  Henry  Hud- 
son. Place  there  The  Keeper  and  The  Swift 
Arrow  also,  for  such  greatness  is  worthy 
them. 

"  That  keg  upon  the  table  holds  powder, 
I  think.  When  we  are  placed,  lad,  do  you 
set  that  keg  of  powder  in  the  narrow 
entrance  and — " 

He  went  no  farther,  for  Ruth  fell  upon 
his  neck  with  a  great  cry.  But  he  knew 
that  I  had  understood,  and  that  I  would 


obey.  Nothing  could  better  show  the  fan- 
tastic, grim  spirit  of  the  old  wanderer 
than  this  last  desire  of  his — to  be  tombed 
in  the  living  rock,  with  Henry  Hudson  and 
the  two  Mohawks  beside  him.  Xor,  as  I 
think  now,  was  it  so  mad  a  wish  after  all; 
for  what  better  tomb  could  Pierre  Radisson 
have,  in  all  this  land  he  had  found  and 
loved  and  given  to  the  world? 

Now,  since  we  had  to  pass  the  night 
here  at  least,  I  had  the  body  of  Swift 
Arrow  carried  within  the  second  chamber. 
The  Crees  had  already  formed  a  camp  out- 
side, and  as  Radisson  wished  to  taste  fresh 
meat  once  more  before  he  passed — for  we 
had  gone  hungry  of  late,  through  having 
brought  little  food  with  us — I  went  outside 
with  Uchichak.  The  Cree  camp  was  in  a 
place  sheltered  from  the  terrific,  howling 
wind,  and  as  the  fires  in  the  sky  had  now 
risen  high  overhead  and  sent  down  a 
ghostly  light  into  the  deep  gulch,  I  was 
enabled  to  see  the  Mighty  One  where  he 
lay — for  the  Indians  had  not  dared  to  touch 
him. 

That  last  chance  shot  of  mine  had 
pierced  through  his  heart,  striking  him  just 
behind  the  shoulder  and  going  true.  And 
what  a  great  beast  he  was !  I  had  shot 
moose  ere  this,  with  my  arrows,  and  had 
seen  full  many,  but  never  so  huge  a  beast 
as  this  Mighty  One.  Still  beneath  his  great 
body  lay  Gib  o'  Clarclach,  his  evil  face  un- 
touched and  grinning  its  last  defiant  grin 
up  at  the  sky  which  he  had  blasphemed. 

In  that  moment  I  was  glad  that  no  blow 
of  mine  had  laid  him  low.  He  had  lived 
wrongly,  and  died  wrongly.  What  a  con- 
trast between  his  death  and  that  of  The 
Keeper !  Yet  the  white  man  was  of  a  race 
which  we  call  superior,  he  knew  of  things 
which  the  Mohawk  had  never  dreamed  of, 
he  had  had  advantages  which  The  Keeper 
could  never  have  had — and  he  had  lost  his 
soul  alive.  Nay,  I  am  not  judging  him, 
God  forbid!  It,  may  be  that  even  such  as 
he  are  not  without  hope  elsewhere. 


88 


THE    COX  QUEST. 


Uchichak  plucked  up  his  courage  and  to- 
gether we  cut  off  the  choicest  portions 
of  the  giant  moose  and  carried  them  over 
to  the  fires  of  the  camp  in  the  shelter  of 
the  walls.  Many  of  the  Crees  had  gone 
on  to  the  lodges,  there  to  rescue  Laughing 
Snow  and  to  await  the  coming  of  Talking 
Owl  from  the  western  pass. 

When  the  meat  was  cooked  I  carried  it 
back  to  the  cavern,  where  we  found  Radis- 
son  as  we  had  left  him,  and  but  for  his 
weakness  I  had  never  known  that  he  was 
hurt.  He  seemed  to  have  become  twenty 
years  younger  in  an  hour. 

Only  Uchichak  and  one  of  two  of  the 
older  chiefs  had  remained  with  us.  We  all 
partook  of  the  meat,  and  I  even  forced  a 
portion  upon  Ruth,  who  was  in  sore  need 
of  it.  She,  poor  girl,  had  little  heart  for 
eating,  but  managed  to  do  well  enough, 
as  did  we  all. 

"  Xow  let  us  consider/'  said  Radisson, 
to  whom  the  meal  had  given  strength. 
Xot  even  when  he  was  facing  death  would 
he  give  up  planning.  "  How  are  you  to 
reach  home  again?" 

"  We  have  no   home,"   said   Ruth   sadly. 

"  Ayrby  is  sold,  and  we  may  not  return." 

"  Tut.  child,"  he  responded.  "  I  make 
no  doubt  you  can  get  the  farm  back  again, 
if  so  you  wish.  Once  I  am  gone,  neither 
English  nor  French  will  molest  you. 
Indeed,  you  might  make  for  the  nearest 
post  and  there  take  ship  for  the  colonies. 
I  would  have  you  visit  Montreal,  if  pos- 
sible, and  there  regain  the  inheritance 
which  awaits  you.  There  will  be  ships 
in  the  Bay  from  Boston,  mayhap,  who  will 
set  forth  in  the  spring.'' 

Straight  upon  this  there  entered  four 
warriors  who  bore  the  silent  form  of  The 
Keeper.  Radisson  demanded  to  look  upon 
the  face  of  his  friend  once  more,  and  I 
would  have  drawn  Ruth  aside,  but  she 
would  not.  And  when  The  Keeper's  face 
was  uncovered,  I  was  glad  that  this  was 
so;  for  the  noble  old  face  was  strangely 


exalted  and  lit  with  a  great  beauty  such 
as  never  in  all  my  life  had  I  seen.  I  can- 
not describe  it  fittingly,  yet  it  was  a 
memory  that  has  ever  remained  fresh  and 
vivid — as  if  God's  hand  had  touched 
the  worn  features  lightly,  ere  they  fell 
into  the  repose  of  death. 

Then  they  covered  him  again  and  bore 
him  into  the  inner  chamber,  where  they 
stayed  no  longer  than  might  be.  The  old 
wanderer.  I  could  see,  was  now  sinking  fast, 
and  his  hand  would  tremble  as  it  clutched 
mine  and  Ruth's.  Presently  he  pulled 
from  about  his  neck  a  gold  medal — the 
same,  it  proved,  that  had  been  given  him 
long  years  before  by  the  English  king,  ere 
his  shameful  betrayal.  This  he  pressed 
into  Ruth's  hand. 

"  Here,  my  daughter — keep  this  in  my 
memory,  and  with  my  blessing.  It  is  a  poor 
thing  to  remember  me  by,  and  yet  it  is  all 
I  have;  it  is  the  sole  trace  of  honor  that 
has  come  to  me  for  all  my  labors,  and  I 
would  that  you  keep  it  alway." 

"  Oh,  we  need  naught  to  remember — " 
began  Ruth,  but  ended  in  a  sob.  Perhaps  to 
check  her  grief,  Radisson  asked  her  to 
read  to  him  from  the  Book,  and  so  she 
took  it  up  again  and  after  a  little  began 
to  read,  while  the  tears  ran  over  her 
cheeks.  Whether  by  accident  or  by 
design  she  never  told  me,  but  the  passage 
was  that  wherein  the  prophet  met  and 
spoke  with  his  God  upon  the  mountain. 

I  watched  Radisson  as  she  read,  and  saw 
his  face  light  up,  then  the  look  passed  into 
one  of  awe  and  wonder.  Slowly  his  head 
bowed  down,  until  I  checked  Ruth  with 
my  hand,  for  I  thought  that  the  end  had 
come;  but  it  was  not  so,  for  he  signed 
to  her  to  continue,  and  raised  his  head  once 
more,  looking  up  at  the  roof  of  the  cave 
with  startled  eyes,  as  though  he  saw  there 
more  than  the  bare  rock.  And  with  that 
he  stretched  out  his  arm,  and  I  helped  him 
to  his  feet.  He  shook  me  off  and  took 
one  step  forward  alone. 


THE    CONQUEST. 


89 


"  Not  in  the  whirlwind,"  he  cried  pas- 
sionately, his  voice  ringing  deep  echoes 
from  all  around,  "  not  in  the  whirlwind, 

0  Lord,  nor  in  the  fire,  nor  in  the  storm 
have   I    found  Thee!      But   in   the— still- 
small — " 

He  swayed  forward,  all  the  life  gone  out 
of  him  suddenly,  and  when  I  lowered  him 
to  the  skins  I  knew  that  Radisson  had 
departed  upon  the  spirit-trail.  I  signed  to 
The  Crane,  and  we  carried  him  into  the 
inner  chamber  and  seated  him  across  the 
table  from  Hudson.  Then — for  I  knew 
that  in  the  morning  no  power  would  tempt 
me  to  enter  that  room  again — I  carried  out 
the  keg,  which  proved  to  be  nearly  full  of 
coarse,  dry  powder,  and  left  it  in  the 
passage. 

"  Come,"  said  Ruth,  catching  at  my  arm, 
"  we  will  sleep  out  by  the  fire.  Here  I — 

1  cannot,  Davie." 

I  held  her  to  me  for  a  moment,  then 
told  The  Crane  to  lead  her  to  the  fire. 
When  she  had  gone  I  gathered  up  the  skins 
and  furs,  and  after  a  little  time  we  had 
fixed  up  a  shelter  for  her  in  a  cranny  of 
the  rocks,  where  I  left  her.  I  rejoined  the 
silent  Crees  and  flung  myself  down  in  the 
warmth  of  the  fire  to  sleep,  for  I  was  very 
weary. 

The  day  was  high  when  I  wakened. 
Ruth,  it  seemed,  was  still  asleep.  In  the 
early  morning  the  band  of  Talking  Owl 
had  arrived,  and  with  Uchichak's  warriors 
had  swept  away  those  that  remained  of  the 
Chippewas.  The  days  of  the  band  were 
over;  few  ever  returned  to  their  villages, 
and  those  that  did  bore  with  them  such  a 
tale  as  kept  Chippewa  hunters  in  their 
own  country  for  many  winters  to  come. 

My  first  duty  before  Ruth  was  up,  was 
to  clear  away  all  signs  of  conflict.  Gib  and 
his  dead  were  laid  to  rest  in  the  outer 
cave,  decently  enough.  The  giant  moose 
had  already  been  quartered  and  the  great 
antlers  were  preserved  for  me  as  trophies. 
So  when  Ruth  appeared,  naught  remained 


of  the  struggle  save  the  trampled  snow 
and  a  few  shattered  fragments  of  arrows. 

The  Crees  were  anxious  to  be  home 
again,  having  raided  the  lodges  in  the  basin 
and  burned  them.  So  without  delay  I 
whistled  Grim  and  entered  the  cave.  Plac- 
ing the  keg  of  powder  in  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  entrance,  I  set  a  long  train 
with  a  final  fuse  of  birch  bark.  When  all 
was  ready  I  warned  off  the  curious  Crees 
and  lit  the  bark  with  a  stick  from  the  fire. 

For  a  moment  it  blazed  up,  and  when 
I  had  turned  from  my  hasty  flight  I  saw 
only  a  tiny  flicker  of  flame  from  the  pow- 
der. Then  came  a  cloud  of  smoke  from 
the  entrance,  a  low,  thunderous  roar  that 
reverberated  from  the  high  cliffs  overhead, 
and  the  great  rocks  crashed  down  in  utter 
ruin.  The  cave  was  no  more.  Pierre 
Radisson  slept  with  those  whom  he  had 
chosen  for  company  in  his  last  long  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    SHADOW    OF    THE    CROSS. 

WITH  saddened  hearts  we  turned  our 
faces    toward    the    Barren    Places 
once    again.       Swift    Arrow    had 
killed    two    of    the    dogs    in    his    dash    for 
help,  but  the  others  were  sufficient  to  draw 
the  sled  bearing  Grim  and  Ruth.     The  old 
dog's  wounds  had  become  too  stiff  and  sore 
to    permit    of    his    traveling    afoot,    so    he 
curled  up  at  Ruth's  feet. 

The  antlers  of  the  Mighty  One  were 
lashed  to  the  sled  behind  the  little  maid, 
forming  a  rest  for  her  to  lean  back  upon. 
My  wound  did  not  prevent  traveling,  and 
there  was  no  great  need  of  haste.  A  band 
of  the  warriors  pushed  on  to  provide  food 
for  us  who  followed,  and  at  length  we 
emerged  from  that  dismal,  howling  passage 
through  the  cliffs  into  the  frozen  silence 
of  the  desolate  wastes. 


90 


THE    CONQUEST. 


Not  until  the  second  evening  did  we 
reach  the  village  once  more.  On  the  jour- 
ney I  initiated  Uchichak  into  the  mysteries 
of  a  musket,  for  although  the  Crees  had 
often  seen  our  guns  and  knew  their  uses, 
they  had  never  heard  them  fired  until  that 
shot  wherewith  I  killed  the  Mighty  One. 
The  chief  was  delighted  with  the  weapon 
which  I  gave  to  him,  as  were  the  other 
chiefs,  for  I  kept  only  one  fusil  for  my 
own  use. 

At  the  village  the  party  of  Talking  Owl 
remained  for  a  great  feast.  On  the  second 
evening  of  this  feast  a  great  council  was 
held  of  the  two  bands,  for  so  Ruth  had 
urged  upon  me  that  day. 

"  We  must  not  forget.  Davie,  that  our 
task  is  not  finished  here,"  she  said  gravely, 
as  we  were  discussing  what  we  had  best 
do.  "  See  if  you  can  get  them  to  admit 
me  to  a  Council  again,  to  read  to  them  from 
the  Book.  I  can  put  it  into  Cree,  I  think." 

So  we  crowded  into  the  lodge  of  council 
in  the  evening,  and  among  others  who  were 
admitted  was  Soan-ge-ta-ha  the  Chippewa. 
The  destruction  of  his  band  and  the  death 
of  Gib  seemed  to  have  broken  the  old  chief, 
and  he  had  readily  agreed  to  return  home  in 
peace  and  to  lead  no  more  war-parties  into 
the  Ghost  Hills.  Three  of  the  foremost 
seats,  however,  were  left  empty  out  of  re- 
spect, while  from  the  top  of  the  lodge  was 
suspended  the  great  pair  of  antlers  which 
the  giant  moose  had  borne.  The  first  who 
addressed  the  Council  was  Uchichak.  when 
the  calumet  had  been  ceremoniously  passed 
around.  Brave  Heart  accepting  it  in  silence. 

"  My  brothers,"  he  began  gravely,  "  once 
before  has  Yellow  Lily  been  admitted  to 
the  Council.  Then  she  told  us  about  the 
Great  Spirit  and  His  Son,  and  about  the 
Book,  of  which  we  understood  little.  But 
in  the  Ghost  Hills,  my  brothers,  she  found 
this  same  paper-talk,  sent  to  her  by  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  she  wishes  that  we  should 
hear  it. 

"  My  brothers,  I  am  old.     I  have  seen 


the  Mighty  One  fall  under  the  hand  of 
Brave  Eyes.  I  do  not  know  whether  our 
Great  Spirit  sent  him  or  not,  but  we  de- 
creed in  Council  that  if  he  slew  the  Mighty 
One,  then  would  we  listen  to  his  Great 
Spirit." 

Uchichak  resumed  his  seat.  Talking 
Owl  and  his  chiefs,  who  had  of  course 
heard  the  tale  of  the  previous  Council, 
objected  to  allowing  Ruth  or  any  other 
woman  to  enter  the  lodge.  They  were, 
however,  overruled,  and  finally  assented. 

When  Ruth  entered,  she  stood  beside  the 
fire  so  that  the  flickering  light  would  enable 
her  to  read  from  the  little  Book.  I  had 
not  known  what  portion  she  would  give  to 
them,  but  she  started  with  the  Creation, 
wisely  enough.  Then  she  selected  parts 
of  the  Gospels  which  gave  short  sketches 
from  the  life  of  the  Master,  and  concluded 
with  the  great  story  of  Saint  Paul.  She 
turned  the  whole  into  Cree  as  she  went, 
stumbling  in  places  where  she  knew  no 
words,  altering  other  parts  to  simpler 
language,  but  on  the  whole  the  chiefs  un- 
derstood and  listened  absorbedly.  They 
were  little  more  than  children  in  spirit, 
loving  a  story  for  its  own  sake,  but  over- 
quick  to  catch  the  sense  of  a  parable,  so 
that  Ruth  read  them  many  of  these. 

It  was  a  lengthy  reading,  and  when  it 
was  done  I  had  thought  the  chiefs  were 
asleep  but  for  their  glittering  eyes  centered 
on  the  little  maid.  When  I  had  led  her 
out  and  come  back  to  my  seat  there  was  a 
very  long  silence,  until  at  last  the  oldest 
chief  stepped  out  and  made  the  smoke- 
offering  to  the  four  corners  of  the  heavens. 

"  My  brothers,  there  were  four  chiefs 
who  sat  in  the  Council,  and  who  defied  the 
Mighty  One.  saying  that  he  was  not  sent  by 
the  Great  Spirit  to  us  his  children.  My 
eyes  are  very  feeble,  yet  I  see  only  one  of 
these  four.  There  are  three  vacant  places 
before  me.  Perhaps  White  Eagle  and  the 
Brothers  of  the  Thunder  have  not  yet 
come  ?" 


She  selected  parts  of  the  Gospels — The  chiefs  understood  and  listened  alsorbedly. 

91 


92 


THE    CONQUEST. 


His  gaze  swept  around  as  if  looking  for 
the  absent  ones,  but  none  answered. 

"  My  brothers,  I  see  before  me  Brave 
Eyes,  whose  name  shall  be  Moose-slayer 
hereafter.  Over  his  head  swing  the  horns 
of  the  Mighty  One.  I  am  too  old  to  take 
the  war-trail,  and  my  limbs  are  feeble. 
Perhaps  Moose-slayer  will  tell  me  how  the 
Mighty  One  was  slain." 

A  whisper  of  approval  passed  around  as 
he  sat  clown,  and  after  a  little  the  eyes  of 
the  chiefs  were  fixed  upon  me.  waiting.  So, 
when  the  silence  had  become  unendurable, 
I  came  to  my  feet  and  faced  them. 

Painting  the  picture  before  them  as  well 
as  I  might,  for  so  they  love  to  have  their 
stories  told.  I  related  how  The  Keeper  had 
died  beneath  the  Chippewa  arrows,  a  mar- 
tyr to  his  faith,  and  retold  his  words.  Then 
on  to  the  fight  at  the  cavern  and  the  silent 
man  whom  we  had  found  sitting  therein, 
and  I  laid  emphasis  on  how  the  little  Bible 
had  been  his.  telling  them  something  of  his 
life.  I  concluded  the  whole  by  reciting 
the  death  of  the  Mighty  One,  which  had 
brought  me  the  high  honor  of  a  new  name. 
I  urged  naught  upon  them,  merely  pointing 
out  how  the  Great  Spirit  had  directed  my 
bullet  to  its  mark,  and  so  made  an  end  of 
speaking.  I  could  tell  that  my  words  had 
impressed  them,  but  I  did  not  know  how 
deeply  until  Uchichak  arose. 

"  My  brothers,  we  have  listened  to  the 
Yellow  Lily,  we  have  heard  the  words  of 
Moose-slayer."  for  such  is  the  best  trans- 
lation I  can  give  of  the  Cree  term  applied 
to  me.  "  I  have  never  met  the  dead,  my 
brothers,  yet  in  the  paper-talk  the  Great 
Spirit  has  said  that  we  should  meet  them 
upon  the  spirit-trail.  I  would  like  to  meet 
White  Eagle  once  again,  and  my  father 
Gray  Fish,  and  my  other  friends  and  kins- 
men. Our  hearts  are  open ;  but  first  I 
would  listen  to  the  words  of  Talking  Owl." 

The  latter  chief,  who  was  gaunt  and  hol- 
low-eyed, surprised  me  greatly  by  his 
words. 


"  There  can  be  but  one  Great  Spirit,  my 
brothers.  The  Crane  has  told  you  that  our 
hearts  are  open,  and  it  is  true.  The 
Mighty  One  was  very  strong.  Our  young 
men  dared  not  stand  against  him,  and  our 
old  men  said  that  he  was  a  messenger  from 
the  Great  Spirit.  We  believed  that  this 
was  true. 

"  Then  came  this  white  man  to  our  vil- 
lages. We  hunted  with  him,  and  we  found 
that  his  tongue  was  straight.  When  he  told 
The  Crane  that  the  Mighty  One  was  not 
sent  by  the  Great  Spirit  and  that  he  would 
hunt  the  moose,  we  were  sorry,  for  we 
loved  him  and  we  loved  White  Eagle  his 
brother.  The  Chippewas,  my  brothers,  be- 
lieved in  our  Great  Spirit,  yet  the  Mighty 
One  attacked  and  scattered  them,  and  the 
white  man  slew  him  in  a  moment.  Talking 
Owl  thinks  that  the  Great  Spirit  of  the 
white  man  and  the  Great  Spirit  of  the  red 
man  are  the  same,  and  that  He  has  sent 
Moose-slayer  as  a  messenger  to  us." 

With  that  I  knew  that  the  cause  was 
won.  The  Council  lasted  a  great  while 
longer,  each  of  the  older  chiefs  speaking 
in  turn  while  the  warriors  listened,  but 
they  all  agreed  with  Uchichak  and  Talking 
Owl,  and  in  the  end  it  was  decided  that 
they  should  accept  the  "  sign  in  the  water  " 
at  another  council  to  be  held  the  next  night. 

I  hastened  back  to  Ruth  with  the  good 
news,  and  she  was  mightily  rejoiced.  As 
it  was  late,  we  made  no  preparations  until 
the  next  day.  The  Crees  had  decided  that 
Soan-ge-ta-ha  should  return  scatheless  to 
his  people,  but  somewhat  to  my  surprise  the 
Chippewa  announced  that  he,  too,  would 
receive  the  "  sign  in  the  water "  with  the 
Cree  chiefs.  This  was  more  than  we  had 
looked  for,  and  it  greatly  strengthened  our 
influence,  for  Brave  Heart  was  a  famous 
chief  in  his  own  nation. 

So  in  the  great  council-lodge  we  met  and 
there  the  chiefs  and  warriors  received  bap- 
tism. I  felt  keenly  mine  own  unworthiness 
in  the  matter,  but  for  this  there  was  no 


THE    CONQUEST. 


93 


help.  The  squaws  could  by  no  means  enter 
this  lodge,  and  so  we  visited  them  outside 
by  the  light  of  great  fires,  afterward  re- 
turning to  the  Council.  There  I  set  before 
them  all,  the  fact  that  it  was  time  that  Ruth 
and  I  returned  to  our  own  people. 

"  The  spirit  of  White  Eagle  will  be  very 
happy,"  I  told  them,  "  as  he  looks  down 
and  sees  that  you  also  are  followers  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  my  brothers.  And  now  that 
we  have  fulfilled  our  mission,  we  would 
fain  depart.  First,  however,  I  bid  you  to 
send  messengers  to  all  the  other  villages, 
and  cement  a  League  of  Peace  here  in  the 
northland,  a  silver  chain  of  peace  which 
shall  bind  you  together  strongly.  You  shall 
have  a  council  from  all  your  tribes  and  vil- 
lages which  shall  rule  you  justly,  and  if  this 
be  done  there  shall  no  war  or  danger  come 
upon  you  for  ever.  I  would  fain  stay  and 
see  that  this  is  done  rightly,  yet  I  am  far 
from  mine  own  people  and  my  home,  and 
the  trail  is  a  long  one  to  follow." 

As  you  may  imagine,  Uchichak  and  the 
rest  were  in  huge  consternation  at  this,  but 
in  the  end  they  promised  to  follow  my  ad- 
vice and  form  a  peace-league  among  the 
peoples  of  the  snows.  Whether  this  was 
ever  done  I  know  not  to  this  day. 

As  to  the  manner  of  our  return,  few  of 
the  Crees  hereabouts  had  ever  visited  the 
shores  of  the  Great  Bay,  for  the  trail  led 
across  the  Barren  Places  and  their  hunting 
grounds  lay  rather  to  the  west  and  south. 
Soan-ge-ta-ha,  however,  offered  to  guide  us 
to  one  of  the  posts  as  soon  as  we  should 
come  to  the  Chippewa  country,  and  this 
offer  we  accepted  right  willingly. 

Talking  Owl  and  his  warriors  remained 
a  few  days  longer  for  a  last  grand  hunt, 
and  a  dozen  Crees,  with  Uchichak,  ar- 
ranged to  accompany  us  to  the  Chippewa 
country.  When  the  time  of  parting  came, 
I  told  them  that  if  possible  I  would  send 
other  messengers  to  them  from  the  Great 
Spirit,  who  should  tell  them  more  of  Him 
than  could  I ;  but  I  laid  no  great  weight 


upon  this  promise,  knowing  the  men  who 
made  up  the  Adventurers,  and  indeed  the 
first  to  come  among  them  with  the  Word 
after  our  leaving,  were  missionaries  from 
the  Canadas. 

So  once  more  we  turned  our  backs  upon 
friends  and  faced,  this  time  eastward,  the 
waste  places.  The  trip  to  the  Chippewa 
country  was  a  hard  one,  but  Ruth  got 
through  it  well  enough  and  Grim  remained 
constant  at  our  side.  At  the  Chippewa 
villages  we  parted  with  Uchichak,  and 
there  still  hang  upon  the  wall  before  me 
the  magnificent  moccasins  which  he  gave 
me  as  a  parting  gift,  while  to  Ruth  was 
given  a  shirt  of  doeskin  with  quill  workings 
in  many  hues. 

Brave  Heart  kept  his  promises  faithfully, 
although  the  Ghippewas  were  bitter  against 
us  for  the  loss  of  so  large  a  party,  and  with 
some  of  his  men  led  us  eastward,  thinking 
to  hit  upon  the  Bay  and  so  cross  the  ice 
to  Albany.  But  to  the  post  we  never 
came,  for  we  had  no  sooner  come  to  the 
Bay,  a  desolate  waste  of  ice  stretching  into 
the  distance,  than  we  saw  a  smoke  from  a 
river-mouth,  and  when  we  had  come  to  it 
found  there  a  ship  laid  up  for  the  winter, 
and  near  the  ship  a  little  fortified  camp  of 
men. 

I  left  our  party  and  advanced  down  the 
slope  toward  them,  and  when  our  coming 
was  seen,  a  man  came  forth  to  meet  me, 
while  over  the  camp  was  run  up  the  flag 
of  France.  The  man  was  also  French,  and 
I  greeted  him  in  his  own  tongue,  asking  for 
refuge  and  shelter.  He  tendered  us  a  warm 
greeting,  and  therewith  we  went  down  to 
the  camp,  wondering  how  this  ship  of 
France  came  to  be  in  the  territory  of  the 
Adventurers. 


94 


THE    CONQUEST. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   END  OF  THE   LONG   TRAIL. 

IT  was  simple  enough.  The  ship  was  the 
barque  Pelican,  out  of  Xew  France,  and 

her  company  were  fur-pirates  in  the  Bay. 
They  had  been  caught  by  the  ice,  but  as 
none  at  the  Company's  posts  knew  of  their 
presence,  they  were  safe  enough.  In  the 
barque  was  great  store  of  furs  bartered 
from  the  Indians,  and  her  master,  one  de 
Croissac.  sought  only  to  win  home  again 
safe  ere  the  Company's  ships  came  from 
England  in  the  spring. 

They  were  warm-hearted  men,  these 
Frenchmen,  and  gave  us  of  their  best.  I 
told  de  Croissac  all  our  tale,  whereat  he 
marveled  much,  and  promised  to  take  us 
safe  to  Montreal,  whence  we  could  get  ship 
for  France  or  Xew  England,  and  so  home 
again.  Moreover,  he  knew  of  the  de 
Courbelles.  and  that  Ruth's  heritance  was 
great. 

This  troubled  me  no  little.  At  last 
the  spring  came  and  the  ice  went  out  in 
its  warmth,  and  the  "  Pelican  "  was  ready. 
On  the  day  we  sailed.  Ruth  and  I  stood  on 
the  hilltop  above,  gazing  out  across  the 
land  and  the  water. 

"  Somewhere  in  that  ice-dotted  blue," 
Ruth  said  softly.  "  sleeps  the  '  Lass  o' 
Dee.'  with  all  those  whom  we  knew  and 
loved,  Davie." 

"  Yes/'  I  made  heavy-hearted  answer, 
"  and  we  leave  them  here  for  ever.  When 
we  get  to  Xew  France,  and  you  become  a 
great  lady,  Ruth.  I  will  leave  you  there 
also  among  your  kin,  and  go — where  I 
know  not.*' 

"  Why,  Davie,"  and  she  slipped  her  hand 
into  mine  gently,  "  do  you  think  so  hard 
of  me  as  to  leave  me  among  strangers?  I 
had  thought  we  would  go  back  to  Ayrby 
together — " 

"  Lass,  lass,"  I  cried  out  in  the  old  Gaelic 
we  had  not  spoke  for  so  long,"  "  an'  you 


stay  in  Xew  France  you  shall  be  a  great 
lady,  rich  and  be-suitored.  Would  you  then 
come  back  to  the  little  stead  on  the  moors, 
where  wealth  is  naught,  where  all  is  rude 
and  homely  and — ' 

"  Yes.  Davie."  she  whispered,  "  because 
it  is  rude  and  homely  and — beautiful,  I  love 
it.  So  you  thought  I  had  rather  be  a  great 
lady !  Truly,  you  might  have  known  me 
better  than  that.'' 

Aye.  and  I  had.  but  I  had  wished  for  her 
to  say  it.  So  we  stood  for  long,  until  a 
gun  crashed  out  from  the  "  Pelican,"  warn- 
ing us  to  come.  As  we  turned  to  go,  I 
caught  her  to  me  and  my  heart  swelled  with 
the  knowledge  that  though  the  Xew  World 
had  taken  much  from  me,  it  had  in  the  end 
given  me  more  a  thousandfold. 

In  the  Straits  we  were  sighted  by  an 
English  ship,  but  the  "  Pelican "  was  too 
fast  for  her,  and  not  another  sail  did  we 
see  until  we  reached  Xew  France  and  were 
safe.  De  Croissac,  who  knew  our  story 
and  our  love,  advised  that  we  be  married 
before  seeking  out  Ruth's  people,  for  were 
our  story  and  the  ending  of  Radisson  to  be- 
come known,  there  was  no  telling  but  that 
she  might  be  sent  to  France  as  a  ward  of 
the  Governor. 

So  it  came  about  that  we  stepped  ashore 
and  sought  out  a  friend  of  the  kindly  cap- 
tain, a  priest  whose  little  chapel  nestled  in 
the  shadow  of  the  citadel,  and  from  which 
we  went  as  man  and  wife,  soberly  and 
happily. 

Before  leaving  the  Bay,  Soan-ge-ta-ha 
had  conveyed  to  me  a  parting  gift  from 
Uchichak  and  the  Crees,  in  the  shape  of  a 
packet  of  furs.  These  I  had  not  opened 
until  the  cargo  of  the  "  Pelican  "  came  to 
be  examined,  when  it  was  found  that  they 
were  of  the  choicest  beaver  and  fox,  and 
that  their  sale  would  afford  us  much  ready 
money. 

Thus  it  chanced  that  when  we  left 
Montreal  for  Boston  town,  aboard  a  trader 
of  that  port,  both  Ruth  and  I  were  like  to 


THE    CONQUEST. 


95 


be  well  off  upon  our  return  to  the  Old 
World.  Of  the  finding  of  Hudson  I  had 
said  nothing,  keeping  the  little  Bible  and 
the  scrap  of  written  paper  safe  stowed 
away,  for  our  tale  seemed  wild  enough  as 
it  was,  in  all  sooth. 

One  more  package  there  was,  in  two 
pieces,  but  very  large  and  bulky.  What 
this  contained  I  did  not  know.  It  had  been 
Ruth's  secret  from  the  time  we  left  Uchi- 
chak's  village  until  we  reached  Rathesby 
once  again,  and  so  on  to  the  stead  at  Ayrby, 
which  Ian  MacDonald  yielded  up  readily 
enough,  being  glad  to  go  back  to  his  nets. 
At  the  unpacking  of  this  thing,  Ruth  bade 
me  begone  for  a  time.  I  returned  from  the 
moors  to  find,  hung  over  the  broad  fire- 
place, the  massy  antlers  of  the  Mighty  One  ! 
She  had  fetched  them  where  I  had  clean 


forgot  them,  to  be  a  lasting  memorial  of 
the  days  that  had  been. 

So  here  endeth  my  tale.  There  is  an- 
other Grim  now  to  tend  the  sheep,  yet  still 
about  us  are  things  whereby  to  remember 
him  and  his.  But  the  things  we  fetched 
back  from  the  New  World  were  more  than 
we  had  gone  to  seek  there.  We  had 
dreamed  of  fortune,  and  we  came  home 
with  love.  We  had  looked  for  struggle  and 
hardship,  and  we  had  found  them,  but  we 
had  come  home  again  with  peace.  Ruth, 
bending  over  my  shoulder  as  I  write  this 
last,  would  have  me  say  one  word  more  of 
Radisson — nay,  she  shall  write  it  herself, 
here  at  the  end. 

"  Trust  thou  in  the  Lord,  wait  patiently 
for  Him,  and  He  shall  give  thee  thy  heart's 
desire  1" 


THE  END. 


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